DAVAO CITY, July 5 (PIA) – Philippine Information Agency Director General Usec. Ramon Cualoping III lauded local chief executives and all working for the roll-out of the National Vaccination Program in Davao Region for a good turn-out of the vaccination.

“ The numbers we are seeing from the vaccination roll-out in the region is very good. Davao City has started inoculating the A4 Priority Group while continuing A to A3. We must give the credit to our local chief executives”, Usec. Cualoping said.

The Philippine Information Agency leads the Task Group on Vaccine Demand Generation and Communications under the Vaccine Cluster of the National Task Force on COVID19.

Vaccine statistics of the region as of June 29 showed that 709,150 doses of vaccines were received; all of which were distributed; 424,576 doses were administered. About 78.6 percent or 348,723 have received their first dose while 28.6 percent or 75,853 have receieved their second dose.

The Department of Health XI reported that the 7-day moving average of daily vaccinated individuals in the region is at 8,238.

Davao City started the vaccination for the A4 Priority Group last June 30, 2021 as it allowed sectors and organizations to establish their own vaccination site and vaccination team to cater the specific individuals under their sector or company.

The tourism sector put up Vaccination By the Sea for the members of the tourism sector including the private and government media. Government workers also started their vaccination thru the two vaccination sites pooled together by the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies (ARENA XI). Workers or private companies such as Abreeza, SM City Davao, NCCC Mall,  Ateneo de Davao University, and other companies also started the vaccination for their own workers.

Cualoping explained that Davao City is included in the priority to receive vaccines as it is part of the NCR Plus, or the high-urbanized areas where it is believed to be the ground for COVID19 surge.

“Now, the Philippines is getting a steady delivery of vaccines. We are able to vaccinate more than 1 million people per week. That’s a good number. Eventually, we will reach our target of vaccinating 250,000 people per day. If we can do that, we can achieve containment of the virus in the NCR8. If we will be able to contain the virus and vaccinate majority of the people in NCR8, then we can achieve herd immunity by yearend”, he said.

The official also reiterated the need to continue practicing minimum public health standards bannered into “Mask, Iwas, Hugas”. Equally important as that, he said is for eligible individuals to grab the first opportunity to get vaccinated. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)