THE provincial health officer in Negros Occidental on Thursday, June 17, 2021, said they are now strictly monitoring the utilization of Covid-19 vaccines in the province under the revised strategy, which started on Thursday.

Dr. Ernel Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said the revision of the strategy was made by the provincial government after about 10 to 20 percent of Covid-19 vaccines were unutilized by some of the local government units in the province.

"We need to monitor the utilization of the vaccines after as per experience on the vaccines that we released, there were unutilized and I don't know the reasons behind. We reported that the vaccines were utilized or zero balance in our cold room however after checking with the LGUs there are remaining unutilized vaccines," Tumimbang said.

"It is not a significant percentage, but it means not implementing the vaccination strategy, so we revised our strategy," Tumimbang further said.

Dr. Zeaphard Caelian, head of the Provincial Incident Management Program, said they have already launched the simultaneous mass vaccination in all 31 local government units (LGUs) in the province Thursday morning around 5 a.m.

Caelian said the PIMT itself made the deliveries to the LGUs under the strict supervision of Provincial Administrator lawyer Rayfrando Diaz.

Caelian said LGUs must consume the vaccines given to them and any unused vaccines must be returned. He said the new system eliminates vaccine spoilage.

Around 13 vehicles, most of them ambulances, were tasked with delivering the vaccines to LGUs. They are also assigned to pick up unused jabs in the afternoon.

Diaz earlier said they made a stepped-up vaccination strategy.

"Last time it was relaxed a little bit. Last time we allowed our LGUs to take their time, convince and educate people to be vaccinated but now the national government is giving regular doses of vaccines to the province. We cannot go full step behind in the vaccination schedule and program of the national government," Diaz said.