The Department of Health in Davao Region (DOH-11) has lauded the city government for its preparedness on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination program.
This came after the city initiated a simulation on the transport of Covid-19 vaccines from Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) to A. Mabini Elementary School, one of the local vaccination sites, Friday morning.
Dr. Annabelle Yumang, DOH-11 director, said based on the assessment of the simulation exercise, the city has shown its capability to roll out its vaccination program successfully.
“If this will be the setup during the actual vaccination, then the city is indeed ready,” Yumang said in a press briefing here.
Dr. Janis Olavides, DOH-11 vaccination team leader, the simulation involved personnel from the local government, the Department of Education (DepEd), and the security sector.
“They really followed the recommended system from the transport of the vaccine to the vaccination process,” Olavides said, noting that the supposed 15-minute time allocation per patient to complete the vaccination process was done by the team for only nine minutes.
Herd immunity
Meanwhile, local health experts underscored the vaccines’ importance in acquiring herd immunity among the local population.
Dr. Ashley Lopez, head of the City Health Office (CHO), said at least 80 percent of the total population must undergo Covid-19 vaccination to achieve the targeted herd immunity.
Around 1.2 million individuals are targeted to be immunized in the city, wherein more than 500,000 individuals come from priority groups comprising front-liners, senior citizens, and uniformed personnel.
“We have to be immunized so we could get herd immunity, and the only way to boost your immunity is to get vaccinated. The government will not push the vaccination if it harms the people. That is why we need to intensify information drive on the prevention and effects of the vaccines,” Lopez said.
He said the city has already completed 80 percent of the master list of health workers prioritized for inoculation.
Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, who leads the city’s Covid-19 vaccination program, also highlighted the role of immunization in protecting Dabawenyos from contracting severe diseases, hospitalization, and even death.
“There is no other option except vaccination. If we refuse to be vaccinated, we will go on like this,” Villafuerte added.
Aside from the A. Mabini Elementary School. Lopez said the city has seven vaccination hubs located in universities and schools.
“We are still looking at a possibility of looking for more public schools to be utilized, and it must be near from a hospital. This is a highly urbanized city, and we need more vaccination sites,” Lopez said. (PNA)
