ILOILO City – The city government is simulating the vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) today to identify possible kinks when it rolls out the vaccine once it becomes available.
Five hundred people are participating in the mock vaccination which begins at 8 a.m. in various locations inside Central Philippine University in Jaro district
According to Jeck Conlu, spokesperson of the city government’s COVID team, 100 people will actually be vaccinated against flu “para makita gid ang pagturok.”
Majority of the participants are personnel of the city government’s Public Safety and Transportation Management Office and General Services Office, as well as select residents from various barangays.
According to Conlu, they will specifically assess how long it will take to vaccinate individuals and the extent of the vaccination program.
Early this month, the city government entered into a tripartite agreement with AstraZeneca and the national government for the advance procurement of 600,000 vials of AZD1222 Vaccine that could cover 300,000 city residents (the vaccination requires two doses).
The target number of persons for vaccination is 60 percent of the city’s total population of about 474,250
AZD1222 Vaccine is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees. It has been modified to look more like coronavirus – although it can’t cause illness.
When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it prompts the immune system to start making antibodies and primes it to attack coronavirus infection.
The vaccines, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas, are projected to arrive in May at the earliest.
Last week, the mayor had simultaneous meetings with officials of hospitals, universities and business process outsourcing (BPOs) firms.
Treñas wanted to utilize school grounds, covered gyms and classrooms so more residents a day can be inoculated with vaccine jabs.
“We will be giving away doses of vaccines to both public and private hospitals to vaccinate all their employees,” Treñas said.
As to the BPOs, the city government is willing to vaccinate all their employees including non-residents.
Treñas earlier announced the procurement of 200,000 more AstraZeneca vaccines intended for non-resident workers.
Meanwhile, the city’s Local Health Board and Barangay Health Worker Registration and Accreditation Committee were reconstituted.
Due to the increasing number of cases, the city government will conduct swabbing and disinfection in establishments identified by the city’s contact tracers to stem possible COVID-19 transmission.
While waiting for the arrival of vaccines, Treñas urged Ilonggos: “No one is exempted from the COVID-19 and we should be extra careful to save a life.”
As of Jan. 17, Iloilo City’s cumulative cases of coronavirus disease 2019 hit 4,798 since recording started in March last year.
But with 4,479 cases having recovered and 154 death, the metro’s active cases currently stand at 164./PN
