DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 23 Nov) – The Department of Health (DOH) in Davao Region has targeted to vaccinate 251,098 individuals daily or a total of 753,294 during the three-day National Vaccination Days from November 29 to December 1.
Vaccination in Davao City. MindaNews file photo by MANMAN DEJETO
Dr. Janis Olivades, vaccination team leader for DOH-Davao, told “Usapang Pangkalusugan” streamed live over the agency’s Facebook page Monday that individuals should have their family members vaccinated to help the region attain its target of 3,759,878 or 70% of the total population.
“This three-day activity is for all Filipinos to unite and come together to join the vaccination and to have yourselves protected against COVID-19,” she said.
The target of Davao City is 147,313 for the three-day event, 139,540 for Davao de Oro, 168,704 for Davao del Norte, 134,886 for Davao del Sur, 66,106 for Davao Occidental, and 96,744 for Davao Oriental.
Alex Roldan, regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Davao, said preparations are being undertaken by the local government units to fully support the three-day vaccination efforts.
He added that barangay officials have been directed to identify who among their constituents are unvaccinated.
DOH-Davao reported a total of 1,925,617 individuals in the region jabbed with first dose and 1,653,321 fully vaccinated.
Davao City, considered the epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic in Mindanao, reported a total of 1,010,811 individuals jabbed with the first dose or 84.23% of the target of 1.2 million as of November 19.
According to the data released by the Davao City Vaccination Cluster of the local COVID-19 Task Force, the city government has also reached 908,101 inoculated with the second dose or 75.7% of the target to attain “herd immunity.”
New infections in the city have significantly dropped compared with previous months’ data, attributed to the high vaccination rate.
The city has been directed by the national government to achieve the target by December 31 to achieve herd immunity.
But Mayor Sara Duterte told Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Monday that whether the city could still hit the target by end of this year remains uncertain.
“We can’t say. Let’s not promise. We can’t say that we are truly confident. Let us strive to achieve the demand of our national government to hit the target of 100 percent herd immunity in Davao City,” the mayor said.
As of November 22, the Department of Health (DOH)-Davao reported 1 new case in the city, bringing the total cases to 53,716 with 265 active, 51,674 recovered, and 1,777 dead.
For those who received the first dose among priority groups, the city recorded 62,269 for A1 or healthcare workers; 100,634 for A2 or senior citizens; 182,184 for A3 or persons with comorbidities and 2,456 minors aged 12 to 17 belonging to A3; 493,711 for priority A4 or essential workers; 14,210 for the rest of adult population; and 37,049 for the rest of pediatric population.
Essential workers comprised more than half of the city’s fully vaccinated population as of November 19 at 500,120.
The city also recorded 93,671 fully vaccinated individuals belonging to priority group A2 or senior citizens, 93,671 A3 or persons with comorbidities, 91,733 A5 or indigent population, 1,024 rest of the adult population, and 70 minors aged 12 to 17 belonging to A3 population.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson for COVID-19 Task Force of Davao City, said the government-run Southern Philippines Medical Center has started administering booster shots for healthcare workers while private hospitals, particularly those admitting COVID-19 patients, have also been given the go-signal to rollout booster doses.
She said private hospitals need to arrange their own schedule as the city government will only provide for the supply of vaccines. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
