Cebu City starts Johnson & Johnson vaccination

CEBU City started rolling out the Johnson & Johnson vaccines for senior citizens in two vaccination sites in the city on Monday, July 26, 2021.

Cebu City Health Department (CHD) officer-in-charge Jeffrey Ibones said for the first day of J&J inoculation, the City targets to vaccinate 1,500 senior citizens in two sites.

Ibones said 1,000 doses of J&J vaccines are on stand by at the New Normal Oasis for Adaptation and a Home (Noah) Complex in South Road Properties (SRP), while 500 doses are in SM Seaside City.

Ibones said senior citizens are the priority of J&J vaccines because it is only a single jab, thus, the senior citizens will not be going out twice just to get inoculated.

"One dose ra nya ang seniors di ta gusto pabalik-balikon ba para kaisa," said Ibones.

"Lisod man gud nato ang seniors i-convince nya kana kausa ra, kanang di na sila magbalik-balik, hopefully ma-convinced nato sila," he said.

Ibones said prioritizing the senior citizens is also according to the guidelines set by the Department of Health (DOH).

Cebu City received 2,970 vials of J&J vaccines from DOH.

Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama, in a press conference on July 26, said there is a need to be aggressive in the masterlisting, especially for the senior citizens.

There have been more than 54,000 senior citizens who were registered in Cebu City's Covid-19 vaccination program, based on the data of the Management Information and Computer Services (MICS).

Of the more than 54,000, more than 26,000 senior citizens have received their first dose, while more than 14,000 have already completed their vaccination. (JJL)