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DOH-Bicol steps up booster vax drive in towns, villages

By Connie Calipay

November 15, 2022, 8:05 pm

<p><em>The Department of Health in Bicol. (File photo)</em></p>

The Department of Health in Bicol. (File photo)

LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Health in Bicol (DOH-5) has pursued a new strategy that focused on increasing Covid-19 booster shot coverage in Bicol Region.

DOH-5 launched the Baranggayang Suyod Bakuna (BSB) on Monday as an initiative to increase the wall of immunity through vaccination which will run until Dec. 16.

Dr. Desiree Bricenio, National Immunization Program - Regional Medical Coordinator, said the BSB aims to increase coverage for routine immunization and booster shots.

“Ang nais po natin ay mapataas ang wall of immunity sa pamamagitan ng booster kaya po tayo ay magsasagawa ng pagsusuyod sa mga purok/sitio/barangay. Layunin natin na mapanatiling mababa ang bilang ng mga naoospital dahil sa Covid-19 at maisasakatuparan ito kung lahat tayo ay may booster na. (What we want is to increase the wall of immunity through the booster, so we will conduct an outreach in the wards/sitios/barangays. Our goal is to keep the number of hospitalizations due to Covid-19 low and this can be achieved if we all have boosters),” Bricenio said in an interview on Tuesday.

DOH-5 identified five high-yield towns or cities per province. The selected towns/cities also identified five high-yield barangays in their area.

"High-yield areas are those with the most unvaccinated for boosters. Through the BSB, the local government units (LGUs) will focus their Covid-19 vaccination drive on their identified areas," the agency said in a statement.

In Albay, these areas are Daraga (39,506 still unboosted), Legazpi City (34,299), Tabaco City (30,563), Ligao City (28,427) and Libon (24,698).

In Camarines Norte, these are Labo (34,821 remain unboosted), Daet (22,311), Paracale (20,688), Jose Panganiban (19,547) and Mercedes (15,118).

In Camarines Sur, the identified areas are Libmanan (32,875 unboosted), Naga City (32,071), Iriga City (27,221), Calabanga (26,875) and Pili (29,538), while in Catanduanes, these are San Andres (9,063 remaining unboosted), Virac (8,695), Caramoran (8,087), Pandan (4,753), and Bato (2,498).

In Masbate province, identified were the towns of Aroroy (26,198 unboosted), Masbate City (20,738), Cawayan (20,357), Placer (18,414), and Uson (18,346) and in Sorsogon -- Sorsogon City (33,734 remaining unboosted), Bulan (29,727), Pilar (24,226), Castilla (18,992) and Irosin (17,197).

DOH-Bicol said as of Nov. 14, out of the 3.6 million fully vaccinated Bicolanos, only 616,000 availed booster shots.

Dr. Ernie V. Vera, DOH-5 regional director, encouraged all eligible populations to avail of their booster shots, especially with the easing of health protocols in the country.

“Ngunyan na padiit-diit nang nagaluwag an satuyang health protocols asin voluntary na an paggamit facemasks, mas kaipuhan ta ang dagdag proteksyon kontra Covid-19. Kaya kaipuhan ta magpabakuna asin magpabooster. (Now that the current health protocols are being relaxed and the use of face masks is voluntary, we need more protection against Covid-19. That's why we need to get vaccinated and booster)," Vera said. (PNA)

 

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