All out vaccination on
Vaccination figures continue to climb towards the targeted 90 to 100% full immunization of the 281,000 eligible population as health workers and vaccination teams move in on mega, district, satellite sites and hard-to-teach areas.
Several mobile teams are also assigned to vaccinate employees in work places and establishments where workers could not get out and be jabbed in mega, district and satellite sites. Establishment owners or office heads are urged to get in touch with the City Health Services Office (CHSO) for a venue and time slot available. This was announced by CHSO assistant head Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes during a media forum last week.
A drive-through vaccination site for public utility and private vehicle owners, with friends and family members is also scheduled at the Athletic Bowl, Burnham Park, where they are jabbed within the comforts of their car.
As of Oct. 14, Thursday, the CHSO reported that 234,206 or 83.35% of the eligible population (281,000) received the first dose of various vaccine brands while 170,645 or 60.72% had their second jab; or the one-dose J and J brand.
Said figures include the A6 priority group identified as the rest of the adult population (ROP), as added to the A1 to A5 category; health care workers and their families, senior citizens, adults with comorbidities, essential workers and indigent population. Practically, everyone above 18 years old should be vaccinated, CHSO head Dr. Rowena Galpo announced during the management committee meeting last Tuesday.
The numbers refer back to the 366,000 census-based city population, of which 19% or 69,540 are ages 17 and below. That leaves 296,460 as the adult population from which 281,000 is considered 95% of computed numbers.
Earlier however, as announced by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the aggressive vaccination drive now includes workers from the La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay (LISTT) municipalities. Coordination with the respective mayors of the said municipalities was conducted, Magalong said.
“With vaccines readily available, we could also accommodate their families later. Tulungan natin sila, after all we belong to the same community,” the mayor said. In a press conference, City Administrator Bonifacio de la Pena announced that all vaccine brands; two-dose Pfizer, Astrazeneca, Moderna, Gamaleya, Sinovac are available. The J and J brand was also administered earlier to those wanting a one-time jab.
Online registration through the bakuna.baguio.gov.ph site is ongoing, even with the 12 to 17 age group which is slowly picking-up.
Last week, the Department of Health-Cordillera Administration Region office (DOH-CAR) presented data that as of Oct. 9, Baguio has jabbed 87% or 227,446 of the 262,185 adults as projected from the 374,550 population. The DOH also reported that 62% or 162,384 have received their second dose or are fully vaccinated. That leaves only 34,379 to be jabbed in Baguio to acquire 70% immunity, the report cited.
The city however prefers to have a higher number of individuals vaccinated against the dreaded Covid virus, thus the aggressive campaign to acquire herd immunity. – Julie G. Fianza
