In Central Visayas: RHU workers await vaccine

CEBU, Philippines — Central Visayas needs about 50,000 more doses of COVID-19 vaccines so that all its 53,000 health care workers, including those in the rural health units and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs), can get vaccinated at two doses each.

DOH-7 spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said that the region needs a total of 106,000 doses and, so far, 62,000 have already been distributed in different hospitals. There is no allocation yet for those working in the RHUs and TTMFs.

RHUs are the health units found in each of the towns and cities in the provinces while TTMFs include the likes of Cebu City Quarantine Center, NOAH Complex, etc.

Of the 30,000 health care workers in private and public hospitals, including barangay health workers, some 7,220 have already received the vaccine as of Mar. 10 after the rollout at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City last Mar. 4.

Loreche expects more health care workers to get vaccinated as awareness on the importance of vaccination is gaining traction.

But she clarified that so far, only health care workers, both in the private and public hospitals,  have been inoculated and that such vaccinations are still ongoing.

When asked when the vaccinations for health care workers will be finished, Loreche said: “It depends on the completion of doses. But (we’re) looking forward to finishing the soonest so we can start with A2-seniors with comorbidities.”

Mandaue City

Meanwhile, Mandaue City conducted its ceremonial vaccination yesterday wherein 75 of its medical personnel like doctors, nurses, midwives, and other hospital personnel received COVID-19 vaccine.

The ceremony was witnessed by several city officials, including Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, who said that the vaccination is the first step to beating pandemic.

First to receive the vaccine was Mandaue City chief of hospital, Dr. Jake Ian Seno, followed by chief nurse Mai Maunes.

Seno said he felt no adverse effect, except for a little numbness on the injection site. He also urged the public to have themselves vaccinated once vaccines are already available.

Earlier, the city government reserved P200 million for vaccine procurement in case the vaccines allocated by the Department of Health for the city will not be enough.

More people want vaccinated

In a separate development, Department of the Interior and Local Government spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said that more and more people are now ready to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as shown in the results of the entry and exit polls of the series of webinars conducted by DOH and DILG.

Malaya has urged all local government units to conduct their own town hall sessions and community engagement activities in their respective LGUs utilizing expert speakers from the local medical community.

“Now that the vaccines have arrived, all LGUs should start conducting town hall meetings, barangay assemblies to increase demand nd vaccine confidence in the grassroots,” Malaya said in a statement. — JMD (FREEMAN)