Following the ongoing mass vaccination drive in the province, a total of 33,584 residents have been inoculated with coronavirus vaccines, according to the Provincial Health Office on Tuesday.
Dr. Josephine Ruedas, provincial health officer of Ilocos Norte, said most of the vaccinated individuals were medical front-liners (A1), senior citizens (A2), and persons with comorbidities (A3).
“We are asking everyone to do their part. Get vaccinated for your own protection and for the safety of others,” said Ruedas as she reported they have activated more vaccination sites in open public and private spaces as well as at the Robinsons Mall in San Nicolas town to accommodate more residents who have earlier signed up for the vaccine.
Once hesitant to get vaccinated, 79-year old Lourdes Yumul from Laoag City was finally convinced to receive her first dose of Pfizer vaccine last Friday when her son, a university professor advised her to listen to real doctors, instead of the doctor impostors in Facebook or Youtube who are spreading vaccine scare.
State-run Mariano Marcos State University president Shirley Agrupis said they have started inoculating their employees and students at the Teatro Ilocandia in Batac City with an initial target of 1,000 individuals.
As one of the recipients of the initial vaccination rollout, Airish Oracion, a nursing student of MMSU, said she feels more confident to go out now that she has taken her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
“It is time to get vaccinated while it is here because the vaccination will add a layer of protection to us and to those who cannot vaccinate, aside from wearing face masks and face shields and observing physical distancing,” said Dr. Ricardo S. Guanzon, overall in-charge of the university’s vaccination program, as he urged other employees and students to get vaccinated.
In support of the vaccination drive, a restaurant owner from Laoag City is offering free six-inch pizza for diners who have received their initial or complete vaccination.
“On our part as a restaurant owner, our goal is to have safe diners. In that way, we can assure that our customers are safe and so with our workers,” said Michiel Harrison, owner of the Fremantle Pizzeria, a home-based al fresco dining restaurant that just opened in October last year after closing its main branch in Baguio City due to Covid-19. (PNA)
