THE Davao City Government is expected to start giving Covid-19 vaccine booster shots to senior citizens and people with comorbidities anytime soon.
Covid-19 Task Force Spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said in an interview on Friday, November 26, that the Vaccine Cluster is just waiting for the logistics needed to start the booster vaccination rollout for priority groups A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (adults with comorbidities).
“Hopefully ma-rollout napud siya (we can rollout the vaccines)for prioritization just like what we have sa (on our) primary vaccines,” Schlosser said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
For now, Schlosser said the public is reminded that the city is currently administering booster shots to health care workers (A1) at the Davao City Recreational Center (Almendras Gym) and University of Southeastern Philippines Gym in Obrero Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. open for walk-ins on a first-come-first-served basis. There is no pre-registration at the vaccination sites.
The official said the city is currently prioritizing the A1 group for the booster shots at Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) and other private hospitals, including the Association of Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (Amosup) Seamen’s Hospital and Davao Medical School Foundation.
“So musunod napud ang mga laing private hospitals ana, hopefully this week or the coming days, para ang tanang health workers ma-booster napud sila,” she said.
(Other private hospitals will soon follow, hopefully, this week or in the coming days for all health workers to get boosted.)
A booster vaccination is ongoing from November 22 to 26, 2021 among Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMF) staff and Rapid Action Team (RAT) staff, while those under the A1.4 category, those remaining secondary and primary hospitals and infirmaries are scheduled for December 2 and 3 and December 6 to 10, 2021.
The A1.5 (public health care workers) individuals may coordinate with their respective district health offices for their vaccination schedule while those under A1.6 and A1.7 (free-standing health facilities and closed facilities, health workers not affiliated with any hospital or health facility, and health workers in closed facilities) will be catered to from December 13 to 17 and December 20 to 23, 2021.
Medical students, interns, and allied health students were advised to coordinate with their respective schools.
On November 17, the government rolled out the booster vaccination for healthcare workers to increase the level of their antibodies against Covid-19.
Meanwhile, the entire Philippines will have a simultaneous vaccination activity through the “Bayanihan, Bakunahan National Covid-19 Vaccination Days.”
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued Proclamation 1253 declaring the three days as “Bayanihan, Bakunahan National Covid-19 Vaccination Days” to accelerate vaccination against Covid-19 and the country’s march toward herd immunity.
Those who leave their work to get the jab on those days would not be marked absent, provided that they present proof of the vaccination to their employers.
The government is aiming to achieve 15 million people to be jabbed during the three-day campaign nationwide.
Davao City, as of November 19, already had more than one million individuals jabbed for first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. According to the Davao City Vaccination Cluster, the city has already administered 1,010,811 first doses, while 908,101 second doses have already been administered. The figure already includes those from the pediatric sector aged 12 to 17 years old.
Dr. Janis Olavides, DOH-Davao vaccination team leader, said during a virtual presser on Monday, November 22, that the city is targeting to vaccinate 147,313 in three days. This is triple the 49,104 daily target.
Schlosser, meanwhile, said the city will be catering to all vaccinees who are set to receive their first dose, second dose, and missed doses from the adult and pediatric age groups 12 to 17 years old in the city’s vaccination hub. She also said walk-ins will be accepted.
