A refrigerated van dedicated to transport coronavirus vaccines is now making rounds in the province of Ilocos Sur to speed up its mass vaccination program.

Dra. Trina Talaga, chief of the Ilocos Sur provincial hospital-Gabriela Silang, said the new van has cold storage of up to -40 degrees Celsius, which is ideal for vaccine transport in various parts of the province.

Based on the vaccination report of the Ilocos Sur government as of May 27, a total of 42,767 vaccines were already received by the province from the Department of Health.

Of this number, 33,230 recipients received their first dose of the vaccines while 6,991 received their second dose of both Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.

While negotiating with various coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine manufacturers for the vaccination of the rest of the population of the province, Governor Ryan Luis V. Singson said in a statement Friday that they need to prepare all the needed facilities to ensure smooth flow of the mass vaccination.

The Covid van ensures the safe transport of the vaccines.

In preparation for the arrival of additional vaccines acquired by the provincial government, Singson urged those who are interested to receive the shot to pre-register online via http://register.ilocossur.gov.ph.

“This is a user-friendly website. Just visit the site and follow the step-by-step process to ensure the efficient and systematic process of the mass vaccination in our province,” he said.

For those who have no gadget and internet access to register, Singson said he has directed the barangay officials to assist residents in the registration. (PNA)