THE Cebu City Government targets to vaccinate the majority of residents in mountain barangays against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) by September.
It started vaccinating them at the Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) in Barangay Punta Princesa on Friday, June 18, 2021, and at the Barangay Bonbon gym on Saturday, June 19.
The DBTC will cater to residents from Barangays Buhisan, Toong, Pamutan and Sapangdaku, while the barangay gym in Bonbon will cater to residents from Bonbon, Babag, Pung-ol Sibugay, Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Buot Taup and Malubog.
Acting Mayor Michael Rama said the City will use the Sinovac vaccine to inject residents of mountain barangays since the Chinese brand is easier to transport.
Rama said they are expecting a new delivery of the Sinovac vaccine.
The two vaccination sites will only be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
According to the data provided by Management Information and Computer Services officer-in-charge Richter Castañares, 45,283 individuals from the mountain barangays (22,664 from the north district and 22,619 from the south district) have registered for the City’s vaccination program.
Cebu City has 22 mountain barangays.
Dr. Jeffrey Ibones, City Health Department (CHD) officer-in-charge, said they can achieve the target as long as vaccines are available.
Ibones said they will open two more vaccination sites for mountain barangays: one in Barangay Cambinocot and the other in Barangay Taptap.
He said they will initially accept walk-ins.
He said the Vaccine Advisory Board is closely coordinating with the barangays to transport residents to and from the vaccination sites.
As of June 19, a total of 228,487 individuals have registered for the City’s vaccination program.
A total of 60,332 individuals have been injected with the first dose, while 25,612 have been fully vaccinated.
The Project Balik Buhay (PBB) Covid-19 vaccination initiative has also inoculated 210,857 individuals in Cebu, as of Friday, June 18.
Of the number, 80,333 have received both doses.
Majority of vaccinees were from Cebu City (84,906), followed by Cebu Province (61,255), Mandaue City (45,753) and Lapu-Lapu City (18,943).
The PBB has opened more vaccination sites at the University of San Carlos-Talamban campus, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and Toyota Lapu-Lapu in addition to the vaccination sites at the PBB-IEC Vaccination MegaCenter, Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital and Visayas Community Medical Center in Cebu City; Chong Hua Hospital and University of Cebu Medical Center in Mandaue City; ARC Hospital and Mactan Doctors’ Hospital in Lapu Lapu City; and Mendero Medical Center in Consolacion. (JJL, WBS)