Bacolod City – Bacolod had the highest number of teeners inoculated nationwide in a single venue during the maiden run of the Pediatric A3 vaccination program.
Official data from the Department of Health provided by the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force showed that Bacolod City’s COVID-19 Vaccination Council had administered Pfizer vaccines to 266 minors who have co-morbidities, EOC-TF Executive Director and CoVAC coordinator Em Legaspi-Ang said.
The vaccinees were aged 12 to 17.
The national government pilot-tested the Pediatric A3 program in Metro Manila two weeks ago and launched the nationwide drive late last week.
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia led the initial Pediatric A3 vaccination rollout at Riverside College together with the medical frontliners from the EOC and the City Health Office led by OIC Dr. Edwin Miraflor, Jr.
Interestingly, DOH records showed that five vaccination sites in Region 2 made it to the Top 8 with the most number of teener-vaccinees.
The other top performers after Bacolod City were the Manuel A. Roxas District Hospital (246), Gov. Faustino N. Dy District Hospital (226), and the City of Ilagan Medical Center (216), all in Isabela, Region 2.
The Surigao City-based Caraga Regional Hospital (206), Baguio City General Hospital and Medical Center in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (168) and the Batanes General Hospital (156) and the Echague District Hospital (155), both in Region 2, completed the Top 8.
St. Paul Hospital, Inc. in Iloilo City and the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, meanwhile, vaccinated 130 and 77 teeners, respectively, under the Pediatric A3 priority, the DOH report said.
Meanwhile, The pediatric vaccination of minors with comorbidities is slated to resume today and November 4 at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, Negros Occidental, with two other hospital venues to follow, Provincial Inter Agency Task Force action officer Rayfrando Diaz announced yesterday.
Diaz said that they are now finalizing details of adding Cadiz District Hospital and Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City as additional venues for pediatric vaccinations targeted to kick off this week.
The low turnout in vaccination of minors with comorbidities at TLJPH in Silay City on October 29, which was only 77, was blamed on requirements set by the Department of Health, such as medical certificates, accompaniment of guardians and signed parents’ consent.
Diaz, however, said that it was a good start, as the province was not included in the pilot area for pediatric vaccination. What is important, even if we started slow, he expects that the number will soon increase with two hospitals added as venues.
He also clarified the pediatric vaccination is still for minors with comorbidities.
Provincial Consultant Alfredo Benitez also lauded the young people who showed up at the pediatrics vaccination at TLJPH, calling them as modern-day heroes.
“I admire the bravery of these young people for taking the first step and ensuring the progress of our community, you are the heroes of our present time. The sooner we get everybody vaccinated, the faster we’ll be able to fight this pandemic,” Benitez said.
The most virulent form of COVID, which is the Delta variant, has cost the lives even of the younger ones, prompting authorities to urge leaders to have the younger generations vaccinated, he said.
The only way we can fight COVID-19 is really through vaccination…the sooner we get everybody vaccinated, the faster we can get our old lifestyle – how it was, we need to get vaccinated”, Benitez said.
(Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star, photo courtesy of Bacolod City Public Information Office)
