Three Filipino Canadians among first to receive COVID-19 vaccine

  • Page Views 2725
  • The Philippine Star-backed OneNews.PH site has reported that three Filipino Canadians were among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Canada.

    The three received the vaccine for coronavirus disease developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE.

    Canada rolled out its mass vaccination campaign on December 14.

    Anita Quidangen, a personal support worker, was congratulated by Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

    Quidangen was vaccinated at the Michener Institute, part of the University Health Network Safety Services in Ontario, donning a face mask, on December 14.

    “It’s an honor, thank you very much,” she said. “I’ll continue to do my job as a PSW.”

    The other Filipino healthcare workers who received the first dose of the vaccines were Cecile Lasco, also a PSW, and Lucky Aguila, a registered practical nurse, OneNews.PH reported, citing OMNI Television.

    “This is a big step forward in our fight against the virus, but we’re not out of the woods yet,” Trudeau said in a tweet accompanied by a CBC News video of Quidangen during the vaccination.

    A diminutive Quidangen was shown sitting down and getting the jab in her left arm. She smiled after taking the shot amid cheers and applause from those who witnessed the development, giving two of them an elbow bump.

    Ford also tweeted a photo of Quidangen, saying it was “amazing” to watch “the first person in Ontario (and) Canada to receive the vaccine.”

    “Anita has spent years rolling up her sleeves to protect our province, and today, she didn’t hesitate to find a new way to do so. She represents the best of the Ontario spirit,” Ford noted in a statement.

    Canada’s news outlets reported that the first recipient of the COVID-19 vaccine was 89-year-old Gisele Levesque, a resident at the Saint-Antoine long-term care home in Quebec City.

    Levesque got her shot at 11:25 a.m. while Quidangen was vaccinated at around 12 noon.

    “It was very emotional for me,” said Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu, who witnessed it in Quebec. “I cried.”

    Canada’s Ambassador to the Philippines Peter MacArthur said Quidangen made history.

    Ford and MacArthur both disclosed Quidangen had been “working tirelessly” amid the pandemic.

    MacArthur stressed Quidangen would “sometimes” report “on double shifts as a #healthcarehero.”

    Quidangen has been a personal support staff at the Rekai Centre at Sherbourne Place in Toronto – a long-term care facility – since 1988, Ford and MacArthur stated.

    COVID-19 has infected more than 468,862 people and killed 13,553 in Canada alone as of December 15.

    Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 9.

    The Canadian government recently amended its contract with Pfizer and BioNTech so that it would deliver up to 249,000 doses in December.

    Most Canadians are not expected to get the vaccine for months.

    “We are dealing with an incredibly competitive global environment,” said Anita Anand, Canada’s minister of public services and procurement. “It’s very much the long game here.”

    Canada has contracts with six other vaccine makers and is currently reviewing three other vaccines, including one by Moderna that Canadian health officials said could be approved soon.

    Canada has ordered more doses than needed for Canadians, 10 doses per Canadian according to the government. Canada eventually plans to donate excess supply to impoverished countries.

    People in Britain and the U.S. are also starting to receive coronavirus vaccines.

    The encouraging developments come as the coronavirus continues surging across much of the world.

    Meanwhile in the U.K., a Filipino nurse who got infected with COVID-19 in the line of duty was among the first to be given the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine.

    In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News / TV 5 on December 11, Leo Quijano said he has been working as a nurse in the southern part of England for almost two decades.

    The vaccine was first administered to a 90-year-old grandmother Margaret Keenan by Filipino nurse May Parsons on December 8.

    Quijano specializes in kidney ailments, including dialysis. In June, he tested positive for the virus.

    “I was positive but I am still alive…There (were) many Filipino frontliners who got infected with COVID-19, especially during the first few months of the pandemic,” he said.

    The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) had expressed hopes that Filipino health workers will be among the priorities for COVID-19 vaccination in the UK.

    POEA administrator Bernard Olalia said it is “very important” that Filipino health workers get utmost priority because they are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • Photo by the Canadian Armed Forces.
      14 November 2024
      11 mins ago No comment

      How Filipinos contribute to Canada’s diverse military

      As one of the biggest racialized populations in Canada, Filipinos are helping build a diverse and inclusive society. Filipinos are found in almost every aspect of life in the country, including the military. In the lead-up to this year’s commemoration of Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week, Statistics Canada on ...

    • 07 November 2024
      1 week ago No comment

      Marcos congratulates Trump

      President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines has congratulated Donald Trump for winning the November 5, 2024 U.S. presidential election. “President Trump has won, and the American people have triumphed. I congratulate them on their victory in an exercise that showed the world the strength of American values,” Marcos ...

    • Pope Francis addresses the crowd from the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's square during the Angelus prayer on October 27, 2024 in The Vatican.
      04 November 2024
      1 week ago No comment

      Pope prays for Kristine victims in Philippines

      MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis has offered prayers for Filipinos affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. At Sunday’s Angelus address at the Vatican, the 87-year-old pontiff reportedly mentioned praying for the victims of Kristine. “I am close to the population of the Philippines, struck by a powerful cyclone. May ...

    • 04 November 2024
      1 week ago No comment

      Duterte: no apology, no excuses for drug war

      Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on October 28, 2024 offered no apologies or excuses for his actions as he faced a Senate investigation into his widely criticized bloody war on drugs for the first time. Before reading his prepared statement during the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, ...

    • 24 October 2024
      3 weeks ago No comment

      Marcos-Duterte feud: “now a fight to the finish”

      The raging spat between the two most powerful political dynasties in the Philippines isn’t showing signs of letting up. As one political observer noted, the fight between the camps of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and erstwhile ally Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio has reached a point of no return. “This ...