Cebu City COVID-19 vaccination resumes today

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Health officer-in-charge Jeffrey Ibones announced that the COVID-19 vaccination for the first dose will resume today, June 17, in the city’s three designated sites -- University of Cebu-Banilad, UC Alcantara, and Robinsons Galleria.

Ibones said at least 21,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be delivered to the city from the Department of Health-7.

To recall, the city temporarily suspended the vaccination for the first dose due to the lack of vaccine supplies.

Vaccination for the second dose is ongoing at UC Alcantara (at the back of the Cebu City Sports Center grandstand).

Meanwhile, Ibones said the city is yet to begin with the vaccination for the A4 priority group or frontline personnel in essential sectors.

“Wala pa gihapon. Tungod kay hinatag man gud sa COVAX facility ang atoang vaccine nga i-inoculate tomorrow (today),” he said.

Ibones explained that based on the guidelines, the vaccines coming from the COVAX facility should only be administered to the A1 to A3 priority groups.

As of yesterday, there are at least 206,000 individuals registered online, more than 38,000 of them under the A4 priority group.

The total number of inoculated individuals in the city is at around 77,000.

Of this number, about 54,000 received their first dose while about 23,000 received both the first and second doses or already fully-vaccinated.

Challenge

DOH-7 spokesperson and chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said that among the challenges health authorities are facing now is that people have not yet fully embraced the vaccination.

Loreche urged those who have signed up for the vaccination to actually appear on the day of their vaccination.

She said, however, that no vaccine is wasted even if the vaccinee will not show up during his or her vaccination schedule.

Loreche also appeal to the public to have themselves masterlisted.

“Magtinabangay tang tanan. Please have yourselves masterlisted para inig abot sa atong vaccines every now and then, maapil na kamo,” said Loreche.

DOH-7 data as of June 15 showed that there are now 108,559 out of the 132,286 healthcare workers who have been inoculated with the first dose and 73,307 healthcare workers vaccinated with the first and second doses.

A total of 23,727 healthcare workers have yet to be vaccinated with the first dose while 35,252 healthcare workers have yet to be vaccinated for the second dose.

Vaccination for this priority group has long started last March 5.

There are 549,444 persons eligible for vaccination under A2 or the senior citizens, of which 87,159 have been given the first dose and 22,133 the first and second doses.

For the A3 priority group or persons with comorbidities, 77,377 and 12,802 have been vaccinated with the first and second doses, respectively.

In the Project Balik Buhay initiative, a total of 19,302 and 9,364 individuals have been inoculated with the first and second doses, respectively. They belong to the A1, A2 and A3 priority groups. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon,  JMD  (FREEMAN)