ILOILO City – This southern city is earning praises for its aggressive coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination.
In a meeting with local government units, National Task Force Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Secretary Vince Dizon cited Iloilo City as a model for vaccination.
“Why? Look at their numbers. They are very aggressive in their vaccination program. More than that, they are assisting their neighboring towns. Nasa leadership ‘yan. I really commend Iloilo City,” said Dizon.
Mayor Jerry Treñas appreciated the compliments.
“Compassion always prevails and will always win against adversities. I am very happy that our efforts to protect the community are recognized,” Treñas said.
As of Oct. 14, around 55.77 percent or 292,788 of the city’s target population were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The city government also opened its vaccination sites to walk-ins from other provinces in the region, on top of its jab donations to local government units under the Metro-Iloilo Guimaras Economic Development Council.
All hospitals and dialysis centers in the city will also be given an initial 100 doses each for patients, and they can request additional if needed.
On the other hand, the city is targeting to start the vaccination for minors aged 12 to 17 years old on Oct. 19 if the Inter-Agency Task Force gives the go signal.
As of this writing, a total of 5,322 minors have pre-registered./PN