Bacolod City remains the top performing local government unit (LGU) nationwide in the ongoing vaccination campaign for minors aged 12 to 17 years old.

This was disclosed yesterday, November 7, by Dr. Edwin Miraflor, Jr., officer-in-charge of the City Health Office (CHO), who shared the Department of Health (DOH) updates on the national pediatric A3 vaccination drive and the rest of pediatric population (ROPP) with the Covid-19 Vaccination Council (Covac) headed by Coordinator Em Ang.

Ang said the numbers for Bacolod City are indicative of the wide reach of the Emergency Operations Center - Task Force (EOC-TF)’s information efforts and parents' deep concern to ensure the health and safety of their children, including those with comorbidities.

Bacolod City actually held two national records as of November 6 -- the highest number of pediatric A3 vaccinated at 813 and the most number of ROPPs from the general population inoculated at 2,653.

The City has a total of 3,466 minor vaccinees as of date, EOC-TF deputy for medical, data analysis and management Dr. Chris Sorongon said.

This is the third time in-a-row that Bacolod City topped the DOH ranking since the national government's launch of the vaccination for minors in late October, he added.

Elated of the DOH report, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said it is encouraging to see the outcomes to get those in the pediatric A3 priority jabbed since October 29 at the Riverside College and the vaccination of the 12 to 17 minors from the general population conducted by the EOC-TF, CHO and the Covac starting November 3 at the SMX Convention Center and the Ayala Malls Capitol Central, being recognized nationally.

"Our gains to vaccinate the targeted general population, and now the pediatric A3 category and the ROPPs, are attributed to the commitment of our medical frontliners, who after more than one year since the health pandemic was declared, continue to work tirelessly day and night. Their work attitude is, no doubt, highly commendable," Leonardia said.

Bacolod was followed in the DOH ranking by Vigan City in Region 1 (Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center) with 133 minors with comorbidities vaccinated and 1,464 ROPPs jabbed for a combined 1,578 vaccinees; Isabela Province, Region 2 (Faustino N. Sy Memorial Hospital) - 808; San Fernando City, Region 3 (San Fernando General Hospital) - 571; and Ilagan, Isabela, Region 2 (City of Ilagan Medical Center) - 553.

Rounding out the top 10 were General Santos City with 465; Pagadian City, 462; Pangasinan, 354; San Pablo City, 341; and Negros Oriental, 333.

The 11th to 15th rankings went to Batac City, 324; Malaybalay City, 294; Cagayan de Oro City, 267, and Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay and the Manuel A. Roxas District Hospital in Isabela Province with identical 246 minor-vaccinees.

Moreover, with the wide acceptance of the ongoing vaccination against Covid-19 of minors and the recognition of the DOH, the city government is now going full blast with its inoculation drive using Pfizer jabs.

Sorongon said they have forged cooperation with the Department of Education (DepEd) including private schools, and the Sangguniang Kabataan, in efforts to vaccinate minors.

Beginning next week, Sorongon said, the city will allocate vaccines for the 12 to 17 age group in all 27 barangay-based vaccination centers.

Big barangays will also be allocated 20 vials or 140 doses for the minor population, while clustered barangays will have five vials or 35 doses, each, he added. (PR)