BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday reiterated his call for all local government units in Negros Occidental to exert more effort in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
Lacson, yesterday joined the PinasLakas campaign of the Department of Health in Murcia, admitted the vaccination results in Negros Occidental “is nothing to be proud of,” noting that the province is falling behind in the target set by DOH.
Hopefully we can do better, the governor stressed, although he also acknowledged the efforts of various LGUs in the campaign.
DOH is campaigning all over the country a stronger booster vaccination campaign dubbed as “PinasLakas”, that aims to increase the number of Filipinos who have been given a COVID-19 booster shot, to help maintain the country’s wall of immunity.
Under the DOH PinasLakas campaign, 90 percent of the senior citizens and 50 percent of the general population should be given booster shots.
As of September 22 in Negros Occidental, 60.73 percent of the senior citizens have been vaccinated and 78.07 percent on the general population, DOH records showed.
“To address this concern, we need to step up and strengthen our vaccination efforts,” Lacson said.
The campaign “PinasLakas” is a result of the easement of our community restrictions, brought about by our vaccination. This booster vaccination campaign, meant to increase the number of Filipinos who have been given the COVID-19 booster, should be taken as seriously and earnestly as the first vaccination drive, he added.
Without this booster, we stand to lose the gains of the first vaccination and we won’t be able to maintain the population’s immunity, Lacson pointed out.
Of the 1,536, 433 Negrenses vaccinated, DOH said that only 157, 652 got their first booster coverage, which is equivalent to 8.59 percent.
Health Undersecretary Kenneth Ronquillo, who was joined by Undersecretary Charade Mercado Grande, Lacson, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Mayor Gerardo Rojas and DOH assistant regional director Sophia Pulmones. in the launching of PinasLakas at the municipal plaza covered court of Murcia, said “we really have to work harder.”
The PinasLakas campaign slated to end on October 8.
Ronquillo lauded the strategies of PHO in increasing the number of vaccinated persons in Negros Occidental, by conducting house to house campaign and giving incentives to Barangay Health Workers and vaccinees as well.
“This is all of society, government approach. Without the cooperation of the people, we should not be able to reach our target,” Ronquillo said.*
