BACOLOD City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran urged all barangay officials and barangay health emergency response teams (Bherts) to intensify their information and dissemination campaigns for the city’s coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccination program.
Familiaran on Thursday, February 18, 2021, said barangay officials including Bherts should explain to their constituents the importance of the Covid-19 vaccine.
This was after most of the barangays already started the survey within their barangays to determine the total number of their constituents who want to join the Covid-19 vaccination program.
“Not only the barangay officials, the medical doctors here should also help us to educate our people about these vaccines, “ Familiaran said.
He said Mayor Evelio Leonardia already asked the assistance of the Negros Press Club (NPC) and Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) to help the city’s campaign to fight Covid-19.
Familiaran said barangays have their survey forms from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and City Health Office.
“The results of the survey will be our basis to order the total doses of vaccines because it will be useless if we order more vaccines, but our people will not participate in the vaccination program,” Familiaran said.
He said once they purchase the vaccines, they will only be stored for six months.
Leonardia earlier said the city’s vaccines will possibly arrive in July.
The city earlier conducted a dry run of the Covid-19 vaccination program in Barangay Villamonte.
The simulation included the pickup and transport of vaccines and other supplies from the central cold storage facility to the designated vaccination areas, the actual inoculation, the 30 to 45-minute post-vaccination monitoring, the disinfection of the venues, and the disposal of infectious wastes.
One of the firsts in the Philippines, Bacolod’s vaccination simulation was aimed at testing the preparedness of the city government in conducting the actual mass vaccination.
Bacolod is among the first cities to negotiate its Covid-19 vaccines. It had already reserved 650,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to kick off its vaccination program, making it among the top five cities in the country with the biggest vaccine orders together with Davao City, Quezon City, Makati City and the City of Manila.