The Department of Health (DOH) has vaccinated 13, 369 health workers in 39 vaccination sites using Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine even as ceremonial rollouts for the AstraZeneca are set to be held Saturday.

In an interview at dzBB, Assistant Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH reported 61 persons experienced adverse events, which were minor, after being injected with their first dose of Sinovac vaccine.

''As of yesterday, there were 61 adverse events. all minor cases. No one hospitalized,'' said Vergeire.

''They said the arm where they were injected ached. Some said their heart beat faster. Some had headaches. They were all sent home after their concerns were managed,'' she added.

Vergeire said DOH is monitoring those who were injected.

She said that AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines will be rolled out starting Monday.

Vergeire said there are 222,000 health care workers in NCR and this includes non-medical personnel of hospitals.

''The current vaccine supply is enough for the NCR. That is why we have enough to give to healthcare workers in Cebu and Davao,'' said Vergeire.

After healthcare workers are vaccinated against COVID-19, then DOH would proceed to vaccinate other sectors, she said.

Vergeire said DOH expects to finish vaccinating 70 percent of the population at the end of this under its best case scenario. She added that under the worst case scenario of vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, this can be attained by June 2022. DMS