Baguio still waiting for vaccines

BAGUIO CITY — Mayor Benjamin Magalong has called on residents ‘more patience’ as the city is waiting to for replenishment of its used vaccine supply.

The City Health Services Office had only been able to dispense second doses since July 6.

“The national government is expecting a bulk of different vaccine brands this July and we hope that these will arrive soon and we further hope that we can get substantial share considering that we are included in the cluster of priority areas for vaccination,” Magalong said.

He said part of the city-procured vaccine of 190,000 doses is also expected to arrive anytime this month but it will not be that much.

“For July, we expect to receive only 11,000 doses and for August, around 18,000 doses.  We were told that the bulk of our order will arrive by September and October,” Magalong bared.

“It is a little frustrating but we have to be patient because we know that there are supply and production issues affecting not only our country,” the city mayor added.

The dearth in vaccines had affected efforts of the city to speed up vaccination to counter threats of another surge presented by increased mobility and the presence of new and more insidious variants.

City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said that as of July 5, a total of 71,988 residents had been vaccinated for first dose, 25,703 of whom had received their second doses.

Galpo also affirmed that vaccine demand had increased as more sectors are expressing interest to receive the jabs and get protection from the virus.

Baguio City has so far a total of 40 percent of its adult population vaccinated.

Artemio A. Dumlao