CENTRAL Visayas and four other regions are being eyed for the conduct of special vaccination days by the end of March 2022, the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) said, after it noted a low vaccination rate in some areas.In a televised public briefing Saturday, March 19, NVOC co-lead Dr. Kezia Rosario said they are now planning for more granular coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccination drives in areas with still low vaccine coverage.“The regions we need to push more are the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, and Central Visayas,” said Rosario.“Based on our assessments, we can launch special vaccination days in certain areas there,” she added.Rosario said the special vaccination days will replace the National Vaccination Days (NVD) campaign, which has been dropped after four episodes.“We are moving more granularly to each local government unit, understanding the intricacies per area,” she said.For the special vaccination days, she said the government will focus more on finding the unvaccinated as well as partially vaccinated individuals.“We are looking at areas where many have yet to get their second doses. Hopefully, we can tap them so that we can reach our target number,” said Rosario.Last week, the Department of Health (DOH) held the fourth NVD program with the target of 1.8 million having been met, according to Rosario.The DOH said it will no longer hold another NVD since there is a need to shift to more targeted vaccination programs.In Central Visayas, the provinces of Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Bohol, are still far from meeting their goal to vaccinate 80 percent of their target population.This, despite the extended fourth round of the NVD, which ended on Friday, March 18, 2022.Data from the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC) showed that Negros Oriental was still at 48.01 percent vaccination rate, with 546,824 fully vaccinated individuals out of its target of 1,138,885.Cebu Province has fully vaccinated 53.46 percent of its target population, or 1,421,622 individuals out of 2,659,045, while Bohol was at 61.41 percent or 679,267 vaccinated individuals. Bohol targets to vaccinate 1,106,085 individuals.Meanwhile, Siquijor Province already exceeded the 80 percent goal with 85.46 percent or 69,705 fully vaccinated individuals. Because of this, the province was already deescalated from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 1 status.Cebu City, which was recently deescalated to Alert Level 1, was also able to fully vaccinate 84.37 percent of its target population, or 704,267 individuals.The cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu also exceeded the target with 98.54 percent and 93.14 percent, respectively.Mandaue City has fully vaccinated 323,310 of its target population of 328,112 while Lapu-Lapu City has vaccinated 343,913 of its 369,241 target.The two LGUs, however, have yet to be de-escalated pending the data reconciliation by the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the NVOC, particularly their data on vaccinated senior citizens.Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, the DOH Central Visayas’ chief pathologist and VVOC spokesperson said that starting next week, each municipality or component city may be independently deescalated from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 1 anytime once it meets the requirements set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).Under Alert Level 1, the IATF said there will no longer be any restriction in terms of indoor and outdoor capacities.Intrazonal and interzonal travel will also be allowed in areas under Alert Level 1 status without regard to age and comorbidities, according to the DOH.“All establishments, persons or activities are allowed to operate, work or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards; provided further, that face-to-face classes for basic education shall be subject to prior approval of the Office of the President,” the DOH said in its website.In the extended NVD, which started on March 10, Central Visayas was able to vaccinate 83.6 percent or 180,248 individuals for primary doses and booster shots.The region had targeted to vaccinate 215,486 individuals during the nine-day vaccination drive. (MKG / HDT / SunStar Philippines)