THE Department of Health (DOH)-Central Luzon is aiming to roll out some 1.5 million jabs in the region from November 29 to December 1, the government-set national vaccination days.
According to DOH-Central Luzon OIC Director Corazon Flores, the target is to jab 500,000 unvaccinated individuals per day during the three-day “Bayanihan Bakunahan.”
“As of November 24, the region has vaccinated 64 percent of the target population with at least one dose while 46 percent are fully vaccinated,” Flores said.
"We have already vaccinated 5.6 million out of our 8.7 million target and we seek to increase this figure through our National Vaccination Days to protect the population from Covid-19 and its variants," she said.
Based on the Central Luzon case bulletin, active cases in the region declined to 0.7 percent, bringing the active cases to about 1,800, which is equivalent to less than one percent of the total population.
"Increased vaccination rate has contributed to the improvement of our active cases, occupancy rate in our isolation facilities and hospitals, and epidemic risk level," Flores added.
Besides following minimum public health protocols, Flores noted that vaccination should be prioritized for a continuous drop in Covid-19 infections.
In preparation for the national vaccination days, various national government agencies and local government units (LGUs) collaborated to meet the 1.5 million mark.
"LGUs cited different strategies such as organizing raffles in vaccination sites to entice their constituents to get the jab against Covid-19," Flores said.
From the existing vaccination sites of more than 300, about 100 additional jab centers were assembled to accommodate persons who wish to be vaccinated.
"We coordinated with medical organizations, the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to augment personnel for our vaccination teams and they all signified their support," Flores said.
Eligible populations to receive the Covid-19 vaccine include the pediatric population 12 to 17 years old and 18 years old and above.
Minors must bring their birth certificate and must be accompanied by one guardian.
Booster shots for A1 and A2 categories or the healthcare workers and senior citizens will be made available provided that there is an interval of six months from their previous dose.
The DOH encouraged every Filipino qualified to receive the vaccine to participate in the national vaccination days to help in the full recovery from the pandemic.
"We are not only wishing for a merry and healthy Christmas but also seeking to go back to the previous normal, so let us join hands and motivate our families and peers to get vaccinated against Covid-19," Flores said. (JTD)