VACCINE ACCEPTABILITY PHASE IN BAGUIO STARTING TO SHIFT FROM ‘HESITANCY’ TO ‘DESPERATION’

May 20, 2021 – Baguio City residents’ reception to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines is fast transitioning from a “sense of hesitancy” to a “sense of desperation,” according to the City Health Services Office.

City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said the current rush for vaccines in the city’s four main inoculation sites indicated growing demand and acceptability for the vaccines among the city’s residents.

“Before, people had the sense of hesitancy but now there is high demand.  People now appear to have the sense of desperation for the vaccines,” Galpo said.

This is a breakthrough in the city’s vaccination awareness and acceptability campaign mounted by the CHSO risk communication team led by Cecille Agpawa.

Galpo said to keep up with this development, the CHSO vaccination team met last week to evaluate the situation and beef up strategies to cope with the demand.

She appealed to people for more understanding if their expectations were not met but assured that the CHSO will exert its best efforts to streamline the process and ensure equitable administration of the vaccines by making the most of their resources considering their limited manpower and the unsteady supply of the vaccines.

The city currently conducts vaccination sessions four times a week in four main sites with six teams working on each site.

Galpo also clarified that scheduling takes time as it needs to be done meticulously considering the availability of manpower and vaccine and other factors. – Aileen P. Refuerzo