TAGUM City and the Davao Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO) have already started vaccinating their frontliners against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on March 11 and 12, respectively.
The Immunization Roll Out in Tagum City on March 11, 2021, has vaccinated doctors first in hopes of encouraging and boosting the public’s trust in the Covid-19 vaccines.
Rotary Club of Tagum North president, Dr. Mae Dalisay of Tagum Doctors Hospital, was the first to be jabbed with the Sinovac vaccine followed by Dr. Michael Malbog and nine other doctors from private and public hospitals.
Tagum City Health Officer, Dr. Arnel Florendo, is hopeful that this will remove doubts from those who are still hesitant and afraid to get vaccinated.
“Hinaot unta nga paghuman ani, mag set mo ug example sa mga alanganin pa ug sa uban nga mga nahadlok pa, nga ma inganyo sila nga magpa bakuna (Hopefully this will set an example to those who are still hesitant and afraid, that they will be encouraged to get vaccinated),” he said.
Department of Health (DOH) Davao regional director, Dr. Annabelle Yumang, shared the same sentiment during her message.
“This is also one way of showing the people the safety of the vaccines by convincing our community members through our doctors as example,” she said.
In support of this, Tagum Mayor Allan Rellon echoed the same message saying that the private and government doctors and health practitioners in Tagum City have converged to show the people that there is nothing to fear from the vaccines.
“Kung ang doctor mismo nagpa bakuna, nganung dili man ang uban (If the doctors got inoculated, why not the others),” he said.
Although the campaign to encourage public demand for the Covid-19 vaccine is relentless, it is further emphasized that compliance to the health protocols must be maintained.
Florendo and Yumang said the vaccines should be considered as another layer of defense and not the “ultimate solution.”
Rellon advised that for those people who may not get vaccinated this year due to lack of supply, they should continue to do what they have done since March of last year to present to not get infected as "the threat and danger are still around."
On March 7, 2021, 1,100 doses of Sinovac vaccine arrived in Tagum City.
On March 8, 2021, The Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Tagum City has begun inoculation of its healthcare frontline workers aside from those 60 years old and above.
Most recently, on March 11, 2021, 170 vials of AstraZeneca equaling 1,700 doses arrived in the Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Davao del Norte, which according to provincial health officer I, Dr. Eleanor H. Salva, will be prioritized for healthcare workers who are 60 years old and above.
Meanwhile, about 100 medical frontliners of Davao Occidental province are expected to be inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccines on March 12 during the vaccination rollout in the province.
The Provincial Health Office (PHO) has prepared the New Malita Gym in the municipality of Malita as the vaccination site. It was conducted on March 10 as a simulation exercise for the rollout.
Prince Paraiso, PHO Health, Education and Promotion officer, said the first batch of those who will receive the vaccinees will come from the three district hospitals: Malita District Hospital of Malita, Tomas Lachica District Hospital of Jose Abad Santos and Sarangani Municipal Hospital of Sarangani town.
On March 9, PHO Chief Dr. Anne Margaux Bautista-Quezada and other Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force-Davao Occidental members received 300 vials of the CoronaVac from the Department of Health-Davao Region.
The vaccines were temporarily stored at the PHO's cold storage facility in Malita. (PR)