MARAWI CITY (PIA)--The province of Lanao del Sur began Monday the most aggressive vaccination drive of the government aiming to inoculate 300,000 individuals against the dreadful coronavirus disease (Covid)-19.

Dr. Alinader Minalang, chief of the Integrated Provincial Health Office and deputy chairperson of the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force, said they are targeting to vaccinate at least 100,000 residents per day.

"What we are aiming is to reach as much as possible the most number of persons here in Lanao del Sur so we can get nearer to our goal of providing community protection or herd immunity by giving vaccines to 70% of our population," he said.

According to him, only 9% of the targeted population in Lanao del Sur were declared fully vaccinated and such achievement is way behind the herd immunity level that is why they have to work double-time for them to reach the target vaccinees.

To do this, more than 300 vaccination hubs were opened in the different municipalities in the province to cater to vaccinees during the three-day vaccination drive. More than 1,000 youth volunteers from the Bangsamoro Youth Commission, Red Cross, non-government organizations, and nurses from the Mindanao State University-College of Nursing were tapped to assist in the massive vaccination rollout.

Minalang appealed to unvaccinated Lanao del Sur residents to cooperate and take the opportunity to get inoculated and be protected from Covid-19.

"We are doing this not only for health but we are also doing this for us to open up our economy and restore normalcy in our country and in this particular part of the region," he further said. (APB/PIA Lanao del Sur)