The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) conducted its second in a series of simulation exercises (simex) for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination in the municipality of Badiangan on Wednesday.

In a phone interview, lawyer Suzette Mamon, Iloilo provincial administrator, said the series of simulation exercises is to prepare for the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines.

Badiangan has been chosen to host the exercise for the third district of the province.

A pre-listing was done by the municipal health office in identifying participants administered with the pneumonia vaccine.

The participants were also chosen based on the Covid-19 vaccination program guidelines prioritizing front-liners and senior citizens.

“We will be using and we will be complying with the DOH (Department of Health) guidelines,” Mamon said.

She added that during the simulation, there are series of procedures that were undertaken starting from the registration, information dissemination, counseling, screening, actual vaccination, waiting area, and holding room for monitoring of the effects of the vaccine and health conditions, among others.

Unlike the first simulation that was held in the gymnasium of the municipality of Oton for the first district, this time it was held in a public school.

“It was a good exercise, it was successful,” she said referring to the activity in Oton held on Feb. 19.

Meantime, the exercise for the fourth district will be held Wednesday afternoon to be hosted by the town of Dueñas, Friday for the fifth district in the municipality of Concepcion, and Zarraga on Monday (March 1) for the second district.

“Subsequently after these, there will be other towns that will also hold their own simex,” she added.

Parallel with the simex, the province is also conducting a survey and information drive for the public to come up with an informed decision whether or not they will submit themselves for vaccination.

Mamon said the provincial government is now processing the payment for the purchase of initial 270,000 doses of vaccines from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

She added that they will be making an advance payment that is “equivalent to 20 percent of the total serum order” of the province.

Mamon, however, said, for now, they have no definite date yet as to when the orders would arrive. (PNA)