DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Dec. 1 (PIA) -- More than 40, 000 individuals in Negros Oriental have received COVID-19 vaccine jabs on the first and second day of implementation of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Days.

Assistant Provincial Health Officer and Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force-Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) Incident Ground Commander Dr. Liland Estacion announced this in her virtual press conference on Dec. 1. 

She said that on Nov. 29, the first day of implementation of mass vaccination for the Bayanihan Bakunahan Covid-19 Vaccination Days, 26,647 individuals have been inoculated against the virus.

On the other hand, there were 22,620 persons who were vaccinated on the seonc day on Nov. 30. 

The municipality of Sibulan attained the highest number in terms of administered vaccine jabs with 3,217 followed by Dumaguete City with 2,900, and the Integrated Provincial Health Office with almost 2,500.  

Estacion said the figures are the consolidated data from all local government units in the province.

The vaccines that were administered to them include Sinovac, Asrazeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer.

She noted that most of the individuals who lined up for the vaccines are those who are 18 years old and above, adolescents, Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs), and construction workers.

Aside from local government unit (LGU)-sponsored vaccination, Estacion also disclosed that private hospitals Silliman University Medical Center Foundation (SUMCFI), Holy Child Hospital, ACE Dumaguete Doctors Hospital, Negros Polymedic Hospital, and other government district hospitals in the province have also participated during the three-day activity and conducted their own mass vaccinations.

Some LGUs also rolled out mass vaccinations on a per-barangay basis.

“For the LGUs, nakita nako wala na sila ni-stick sa main vaccination area. Niadto na sa mga barangay gym. I congratulate every one na nilihok gud ang tanan for the good of everybody (I saw they didn’t stick to main vaccination area. They also conducted vaccination drive in the barangay gyms. I congratulate everyone who participated in this and exerted effort for the good of everybody),” Estacion said.

Based on the Dec. 1 data, 234,628 individuals in Negros Oriental have received their complete doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

This translates to 25.8% accomplishment in the target population to be vaccinated against the virus which is 908,393.

Meanwhile, there are a total of 419,422 individuals who have received their first dose of the vaccines.

Estacion also noted that the walk-in scheme proved to be effective in encouraging people to get vaccinated against the virus.

She disclosed that in her interview with the people who participated in the mass vaccination for the National Covid-19 Vaccination Days, some said they could not take the vaccine jab because they find the scheduling system inconvenient.

With this, she emphasized to local health units to cater to more walk-in individuals to cover more people and accelerate towards achieving herd immunity.

Estacion hopes that LGUs would realize this with the conduct of mass vaccination until Dec. 2.

With these developments, Estacion urged the public to take advantage of the mass vaccination roll-outs and support the vaccination program of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) and its counterpart in the cities and municipalities. 

“Nagpasalamat ta but the province and LGUs are having vaccination program dailly. Wala ta ni-stop (We are thankful for this affair but the province and the LGUs are having vaccination programs daily. We don’t stop),” Estacion said.

Estacion is hopeful that if the vaccination program is fast-tracked and the province could have 50% herd immunity by the end of the year. (RAL/PIA7 Negros Oriental)