BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA AND IME SORNITO
ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) targets to vaccinate 1.2 million Western Visayans against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the three-day national inoculation drive on Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. The provinces of Negros Occidental and Iloilo have the highest targets at 516,807 and 338,716, respectively. Can they achieve these?
Reaching more than half a million people in three days is unlikely, according to Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Lacson.
But the province could vaccinate 93,000 people, that is, 1,000 vaccinees daily from 31 local government units (LGUs), according to Lacson.
That’s the ideal target, he said.
The governor offered two possible reasons: vaccine hesitancy and accessibility.
Lacson said misinformation is still rampant such as those being spread by individuals from religious denominations that the vaccines are “no good” or “unacceptable,” as well as fake news.
He also pointed out that some parts of the province are hard to reach, although they were looking for ways to bring the vaccines to them.
The cities of Escalante and La Carlota and the town of Toboso also introduced incentives to entice individuals to get vaccinated.
Meanwhile, although Lacson noted an “improvement” in the weekly vaccinees from 29,000 two weeks ago to 66,000 at present, he was not confident reaching the DOH’s target.
Nonetheless, Lacson enjoined LGUs to not wait for the three-day campaign and continue intensifying their vaccination effort.
He also assured an ample vaccine supply.
Negros Occidental targets reaching herd immunity by February next year, with Lacson pointing out this is “more realistic.”
‘CHALLENGING’
Iloilo, on the other hand, is optimistic.
“Challenging yet puede maobra.” So said Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, chief of the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
The province has to vaccinate 112,905 persons daily to reach the DOH’s target of 338,716.
“Ang aton highest (number of vaccinees) in a day so far is mga 26,000,” said Quiñon. “But 112,000 daily? Puede kon gustohan.”
The provincial government is tapping private sectors, medical practitioners like Philippine Medical Association and Iloilo Medical Society, Philippine Red Cross, and Rotary Club, among other volunteer groups to join the three-day national vaccination drive.
To reach the target, the provincial government needs additional 381 vaccination teams, 1,143 healthcare workers and 172 vaccination sites.
Gov. Arthur Defensor, meanwhile, appealed to eligible populations to get vaccinated as the province has enough supply of vaccines.
He added that there is no need to choose the type of vaccine as each brand has been proven effective against COVID-19.
The governor also stressed that as more people get vaccinated, the less restrictive the protocols will be.
“Our health protocols are inversely proportional with our vaccination programs,” Defensor said.
The governor is set to issue a memorandum to seek LGUs’ support in the three-day massive vaccination drive.
Dubbed as “Bayanihan Bakunahan,” the national campaign coinciding with Bonifacio Day on Nov. 30 aims to vaccinate 15 million individuals in three days.
According to Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray, DOH-6 spokesperson, a total of 1,278,777 individuals in Region 6 were to be vaccinated, with a daily target of 426,259.
Here are the other targets:
* Aklan – 79, 521
* Antique – 115,217
* Capiz – 133,576
* Guimaras – 28,699
* Bacolod City – 66,171
Iloilo City was not included in the list because it has already reached a 119 percent vaccination accomplishment (first dose coverage), Natalaray noted./PN