Baguio, 6 other Cordillera towns lauded for vaccination accomplishment

November 20, 2021 Metro BLISTT

Baguio and six Cordillera municipalities – one in Apayao and five in Abra – were recognized recently for reaching 80 percent or more vaccination accomplishment rate for its first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
That includes the single dose shot of Janssen vaccine. The Regional Task Force Covid-19 (RTFC), Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF) and Regional Vaccination Operations Center (RVOC) recognized Baguio, Luna, Apayao and the five Abra municipalities last November 10.
Certificates of recognition were accorded to Baguio for administering vaccine to 100 of its target population, while Apayao’s capital town has now administered to 93 percent of its target population.
In Abra, the five municipalities are Danglas with 88 percent accomplishment rate, Bangued with 86 percent, Daguioman with 83 percent, Bucloc with 80 percent and Luba with 80 percent accomplishment rate.
Baguio remains the top LGU in administering vax with 449,423 doses already given. From this number, 212,390 persons are already fully vaxed.
In a post, the Public Information Office – Baguio said: “We are on the road to herd immunity with 75.76 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated!” It added: “We rejoice as the hardest-working medical frontliners jabbed 6,772 adults today to bring our figures upfront: 257,805 or 91.74 percent first dosed and 212,390 or 75.76 percent fully vaccinated.”
It went on to say: “But the call is still on for the rest of the population to come back for their second dose, that they be part of the fully immunized community.”
Meanwhile, the city is on track in vaccinating its pediatric population with 20,033 or 46.79 percent of the 42,811 eligible adolescent group (12 to 17 years old) are immunized for the first dose.
Starting today, LGUs can start administering booster shots to already inoculated persons “regardless of the brand used for the primary series.”
The Department of Health is recommending either Moderna, Pfizer or Sinovac as booster doses based on the Emergency Use Authorization issued by the Food and Drug Administration.
On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte, through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea last Monday issued a memorandum that wearing of face shields may now be voluntarily in open areas and other low-risk spaces.
In Baguio, mayor Benjamin Magalong in a post said that “face shields are still strongly encouraged in high-risk enclosed environments, as well as in clinics and other health services facilities.”
He said the “City shall shift its focus and monitoring on the use of face masks while amendments for COB Ordinance No. 49, s. 2021 are being finalized before the City Council of Baguio.”
Magalong added that the new advisory will only be revised once the City Council will come out with the final amendment of the face shield ordinance.
Pigeon Lobien/ABN