THE Cebu City Vaccine Advisory Board (VAB) is eyeing to vaccinate majority of the residents in the upland barangays against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) within September, but only one of five residents have been fully vaccinated as of the first half of the month.
Based on the data provided by Management Information and Computer Services (MICS) officer-in-charge Richter Castañares on Sept. 17, 2021, only 21.4 percent of the upland residents who have registered for the Covid-29 vaccination program have been fully vaccinated.
In the entire city, only 25 percent (one in four) of the target population has been fully vaccinated.
Cebu City Health Department (CHD) officer-in-charge Jeffrey Ibones remained hopeful that Cebu City will achieve herd immunity within the year.
He said it would be better to vaccinate majority of the upland residents because some people there do not follow the health protocols, like wearing of face mask.
“It would be nice (to vaccinate them sooner) because sometimes, some people in the mountain do not wear face mask,” Ibones told SunStar Cebu.
“Once we get the majority of them, that would be a very big help,” he said.
Data from MICS on Sept. 17 showed that 8,267, or 22.7 percent, of the 36,397 registered individuals in the mountain barangays under the north district have been full vaccinated. A total of 11,692 have received the first dose.
In the upland barangays in the south district, 6,916 or nearly 20 percent or the 34,650 registered individuals have completed vaccinations. A total of 9,578 have received one dose.
Ibones noted some constraints that have hindered vaccinations in the upland areas, such as accessibility to transport.
This is being addressed by the VAB, which conducts mobile vaccinations during weekends. He said a vaccination site is set up in a certain mountain barangay and even residents from neighboring barangays may avail themselves of the vaccine.
In the entire Cebu City, MICS data showed that 175,603 individuals have been fully vaccinated, comprising 25 percent of the 700,000 target population.
First dose inoculations reached 238,354, for a total of 413,957 doses.
A total of 549,716 individuals have registered for the program.
Ibones said the board’s major concern now is that some individuals are being picky and prefer a certain brand because they planned to travel overseas.
Cebu City has a population of nearly one million. To achieve herd immunity, officials are eyeing to vaccinate 70 percent of the population. (JJL)