CEBU, Philippines — Cebu has breached the three million mark as to the number of COVID-19 doses administered as of November 22, 2021, the Visayas Vaccination COVID-19 Operations Center said Tuesday.
VVOC spokesperson and chief pathologist of the Department of Health-7, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, said that a total of 3,119,866 doses were administered of which 1,723,919 for the first dose; 1,395,808 for the second dose and 139 for the booster dose.
For the entire Central Visayas, a total of 4,409,931 doses were already administered of which 2,440,438 for the first dose and 1,969,324 for the second dose.
Loreche also noted that vaccination rollout is improving in Metro Cebu for the November 15 to 19 weekly jabbing, both in the first and second dose.
She said that for the first dose for the said week of 148,000 target doses, about 69 percent (82,511 doses for 18 years old and above and 20,159 doses 12 to 17 years old) were administered).
For the second dose over the same week and age groups, of the total target doses of 51,088 around 96 percent or 49,213 doses were administered.
Metro Cebu for purposes of this vaccination rollout is composed of Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Talisay City, Naga City and the towns of Minglanilla, Consolacion, Cordova and Liloan.
Meanwhile, Lapu-Lapu City government has started giving free third dose or booster shots for A1 or active medical and health care workers.
“Naa tay 200 plus nga na-identify, due na jud sila for a booster after ika-sixth month nila after their second dose,” said city vaccine czar, Atty. James Allan Sayson, who supervised the booster vaccination.
The city’s temporary vaccination center for booster doses is located at Barangay Pajo gym that is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sayson said that vaccinees have the option to have homologous, or the same brand with his or her previous doses, or heterologous boosters or having a different brand of vaccine from ones first and second doses.
Sayson said they have a few Sinovac booster shots and close to 19,000 Pfizer brands.
He added that the city received an advisory from the national government that booster shots for A2 or senior citizens and A3 or persons with comorbidities may start but still waiting for a go signal from the DOH-7 when he sought for guidance.
In Consolacion town, their “Bakuna Lacion Batok sa COVID-19” was scheduled beginning November 22 to 26, 2021 wherein town residents and those working in the town will be given priority while for adults in this roll out program, walk-in no need for a registration as it is a “first come first serve” basis. — GMR (FREEMAN)