ABOUT 92 percent of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in jails managed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) have received full inoculation against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), BJMP Spokesperson Jail Superintendent Xavier Solda said on Sunday, March 20, 2022.
Solda said 92.18 percent or 119,175 out of the 129,283 PDLs in all BJMP facilities are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19 while 6.54 percent received the first dose and 4.81 percent or 6,215 have yet to get inoculated.
A total of 76,151 PDLs also got booster doses.
“So far, natutuwa kami na mataas ang vaccine confidence among our PDL kasi willing silang magpabakuna lahat though there are few who have comorbidities that requires clearance from their doctors before sila bakunahan,” he said in a message to Sunstar.
(So far, we are glad that the vaccine confidence is high among our PDLs because they are willing to get vaccinated, though there are few who have comorbidities that require clearance from their doctors before they are vaccinated.)
He said the BJMP is in constant coordination with local government units as well as with the Department of Health (DOH) for the vaccination of the PDLs.
Since 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic started, 5,019 PDLs have been infected by the virus.
The Covid-19 death toll among detained individuals was at 54 while 4,886 recovered.
Solda said the PDLs who succumbed to Covid-19 have comorbidities.
He said currently, there were nine active cases among PDLs.
Solda said the BJMP is continuous with its adherence to safety protocols, especially the frequent disinfection in all facilities and good ventilation to prevent the spread of the virus in jails.
He said BJMP facilities currently have a 382-percent congestion rate, lower than the 415-percent congestion rate in September 2021.
“We are always mindful sa karapatan ng ating PDL para sa mabuting kalusugan kaya kasama lagi sila sa pagprograma ng bakunahan sa ating mga piitan,” Solda said.
“The vaccination is an added protection for our PDL in this time of pandemic. In fact, aside from Covid-19 vaccine, we are also providing flu and pneumococcal vaccines to them to boost their health,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)