City health office assures residents ample vaccines

July 25, 2021 Metro BLISTT

City Health Services Office (CHSO) assistant head Dr. Celia Brillantes is asking residents to follow Covid-19 vaccination requirements and schedule to avoid crowding at vaccination sites as she assured that everybody will be inoculated but in due time.
The city’s number two doctor made this call that despite the strong rains the past two days people still flocked to the vaccine sites creating long queues with many being sent home due to the cut-off and the limited number of vaccines.
Brillantes said the long lines and crowding experienced at the vaccination areas may cause a possible “spreader” situation especially if physical distancing is not observed. Baguio has five mega-vaccination sites – Saint Louis University, University of Baguio, St. Louis School, Inc. at Saint Vincent Gym, SM City and the Baguio Country Club.
She added that vaccination sites can only accommodate a number of people due to the limited number of vaccines available especially in the delay of the delivery of the needed medicine against Covid-19.
She assured Baguio residents, however, that there will be enough vaccines for all eligible persons to be vaccinated. She asked the people not to panic as vaccines will not run out, although they just have to wait since it will come in tranches.
“People should just stay calm, not worry, and be patient in waiting their turn to be vaccinated. Rest assured that no eligible vaccinees in the city will be left behind in the vaccination process,” Brillantes said.
Brillantes reminded people that they must register first at bakuna.baguio.gov.ph and echoed Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s constant appeal for everybody, even those fully vaccinated, to continue adhering to minimum public health standards.
Magalong, meanwhile, promised to beef up the city’s vaccination capability to be prepared once vaccine supply and production issues are resolved.
The mayor assured that the city aims to expand its vaccination schedule, put up more sites to reach as many target population, have more
well trained personnel to man these sites and streamline the process that will cut the vaccination time.
Magalong said that they are now targeting 95 percent of the city’s population to be vaccinated from 70 percent to really establish herd immunity.
The CHSO has also upgraded its target from 70 to 85 percent or 238,776 individuals from the earlier target of 196,639 based on the 374,550 estimated total population of the city excluding those ages 18 and below.
Brillantes said that the five mega sites since July 13 have been operating seven days a week as she said that more vaccinations sites will be set up including district and satellite “to reach as many target population.”
CHSO head Dr. Rowena Galpo said that to attain this, her office has been training volunteers from both the government and private sector to man the sites.
Brillantes said they continue to review and improve the vaccination process to speed up the process to be able to increase the number of people that could be jabbed.
Magalong said that that they need to increase vaccination rate to counter the anticipated surges in Covid-19 cases due to increased mobility, reopening to tourists and the threat of new variants.
However, they are hampered by the lack of vaccines thus his plea for more patience from the residents wanting to be vaccinated.
Some 78,956 Baguio residents have been given their first dose, accounting to 43.33 percent of the registered target population. Of these vaccinees, 50,097 have already taken their second dose or a 63.45 percent fully vaccinated residents.
Pigeon Lobien/ABN