NEGROS Occidental and its capital Bacolod City have noted a high initial turnout for the three-day National Vaccination Drive from November 29 to December 1, 2021.
Negros Occidental had the most number of inoculated individuals in the first two days of the program, records from the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas showed.
During the first day of the program, Negros Occidental registered 68,911 vaccinees out of 50,000 daily target, or about 137.82 percent, while Iloilo Province and Bacolod City are second and third, respectively.
Some 29,047 residents in Bacolod City, or 131.69 percent of their target of 22,000 individuals, were inoculated on the first day of the vaccination program.
Iloilo Province, meanwhile, fell short of their 90,000 target individuals as only 48,063 or 53.4 percent were able to get the jabs.
On the second day, 58,662 individuals in Negros Occidental were vaccinated. The figure represents 117.32 percent of its initial target of 68,911.
Iloilo Province was still short of its target since only 37,846 or 42.05 percent out of 48,063 targeted individuals received shots against coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Residents who were inoculated on the second day at the highly urbanized city of Bacolod stood at 18,897 or 85.67 percent out of the 29,047 or only 85.6 percent.
The number of vaccinated individuals on the last day of the national vaccination is not yet available as of last night.
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the sight of thousands of Bacolodnons lining up to get vaccinated in different sites was overwhelming, adding that there appears to be a turnaround on the earlier hesitancy against the Covid-19 vaccines.
Leonardia attributed the shift in the people's interest in getting the jab to the consistent information and education campaign mounted by the local government through the Emergency Operations Center.
For his part, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson earlier said he is amazed by the enthusiasm of various local government units in the province for their active participation in the Bayanihan Bakunahan campaign.