CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Both the local government here and the provincial government of Misamis Oriental have doubled their efforts in the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination drive by inoculating residents regardless of where they reside.
As a chartered city separate from the province, Mayor Oscar Moreno said Friday the city government will continue to deploy its vaccination team, through mobile vaccination, despite the low vaccination turnout in Gitagum town of Misamis Oriental.
"I don't know what happened as to why it turned out like that, but what is important is that we offered our help and support. I hope they will realize that the vaccination we have offered is a protection to the people in the municipality," he said.
The mobile vaccination team of the city has worked in Gitagum on January 26 and 27 to help in the immunization of villagers.
Moreno confirmed that Gitagum is one of the towns with a low vaccination rate.
Dr. Ted Yu Jr., a city health office (CHO) medical staff, said they only tallied 316 individuals who have been inoculated in Gitagum during the two-day vaccination rollout.
Dr. Gina Itchon, the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) research and development department head, echoed Moreno’s remarks, citing this can be the best measure to prevent the possible surge of Covid-19 cases admitted in the hospitals within the city.
Itchon said residents from Misamis Oriental towns with low vaccination rates would most likely go to the city if they need serious medical treatment.
"It is also good to know the level of their vaccination rate because these people (living in towns with low vaccination rates) will probably go here if they get ill. (With this), we will help those towns with low vaccination rates," she said.
As of Thursday, NMMC has catered to 267 Covid-19 positive cases; 168 cases of which are currently admitted in their Covid-19 facility.
The remaining 99 cases are currently admitted at another Covid-19 facility in Barangay San Simon that is also under the supervision of the NMMC.
Out of the total admitted Covid-19 cases, 98 are not Cagayan de Oro residents.
Yu also confirmed that they are finalizing the start of the mobile vaccination rollout in Laguindingan town in Misamis Oriental, which would probably last for several days.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jerie Calingasan, chief of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported that thousands of residents from the province and Cagayan de Oro City have received booster shots after a walk-in vaccination site opened earlier this month.
“We inoculated 3,997 people during the three-day walk-in vaccination. This is in line with the government’s efforts to intensify its campaign to achieve mass population protection the soonest time possible,” he said.
Based on government data, inoculated residents were given their shots based on their preferred type of booster vaccine.
Of the 3,997 booster doses administered, Pfizer was provided to 2,681 vaccinees; Moderna, 973; Sinovac, 203; and AstraZeneca, 140. (PNA)
