ILOILO – More than 300,000 doses of vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are arriving this weekend.
According to Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, head of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), 150,000 doses of Sinovac and 196,900 Pfizer shots will be sent by the national government.
Priority local government units (LGUs) are those with large populations, high COVID-19 cases and low vaccination turnout, according to Quiñon.
Here is the allocation set by PHO:
Sinovac
* Iloilo provincial government – 85,400 (1st dose – 44,800; 2nd dose – 40,600)
* Carles – 4,000 (1st dose – 2,400; 2nd dose – 1,600)
* Passi – 4,800 (1st dose – 2,400; 2nd dose – 2,400)
* Dumangas – 4,800 (1st dose- 2,400; 2nd dose – 2,400)
* Lambunao – 4,800 (1st dose – 2,400; 2nd dose – 2,400)
* Oton – 6,400 (1st dose – 3,200; 2nd dose – 3,200)
* Pavia – 4,800 (1st dose – 2,400; 2nd dose – 2,400)
Pfizer
* Iloilo provincial government – 60,840
* Carles – 2,340
* Passi – 3,510
* Dumangas – 2,340
* Lambunao – 2,340
* Oton – 7,020
* Pavia – 3,510
“Ang iban i-spread out naton sa iban nga mga banwa,” said Quiñon.
AstraZeneca will also deliver another tranche of the province’s vaccine orders, she added.
Quiñon believes the additional vaccines will boost Iloilo’s vaccination coverage.
As of Oct. 13, a total of 414,641 Ilonggos – 29 percent of the target population – received their first dose of COVID jabs, while 312,731 or 22 percent have been fully vaccinated.
The province targets to vaccinate 1,448,757 residents to achieve herd immunity.
Quiñon encourages residents to register with their barangays to avail themselves of free anti-COVID shots through village-based vaccinations.
“Masobra na 15,000 ang nabakunahan ta sa isa pa lang ka bulan through barangay-based vaccination. Pasalamat kita sa (Philippine) Red Cross,” Quiñon said./PN