Health authorities in Ilocos Region aim to vaccinate more than 700,000 individuals during the three-day National Vaccination Days which will start on Monday.

Ilocos Center for Health Development in Region 1 announced Sunday that the 408 pre-identified sites in the entire region are all set for the biggest inoculation rollout since the start of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Dr. Rhuel Bobis, Covid-19 focal person of the Department of Health-Ilocos Region, said in a press conference Sunday that they are hoping to meet the vaccination target covering the provinces of La Union, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte.

“We are happy that we were able to tap both public and private organizations to participate in the nationwide vaccination rollout,” he said.

Since last week, Bobis’ team has been making the rounds of various local government units in the region to monitor their preparations and help them address some of their concerns.

He expressed hopes that the region would be able to hit its vaccination target and achieve population protection before the year ends.

While anticipating another batch of the nationwide vaccination rollout, John Paul Aquino, immunization program manager of the DOH-Ilocos Region, has called for more volunteers not only as vaccinators but also encoders to speed up the rollout and real-time reporting of accomplishment to the national level.

“We are expanding our vaccination areas to make it more accessible to areas that are hard to reach,” he said.

Aquino said in the province of Ilocos Sur, talks are now underway between health authorities and law enforcers on the delivery of vaccines to hard-to-reach areas such as in the municipalities of Sugpon and Salcedo. (PNA)