A TOTAL of 74,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 were delivered to Northern Mindanao on Tuesday morning, May 11, 12,000 of which were allocated to Cagayan de Oro, Acting City Health Officer Dr. Lorraine Nery reported.
According to Nery, out of the 12,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 3,000 are intended as second doses for individuals who already had their first dose of the vaccine.
Around 4,500 individuals are expected to get two doses from the remaining 9,000 vaccines.
"Kining 4,500 di pa mahuman ang semana hurot na ni. Ang atong target is 1,300, tulo o upat ka adlaw mahuman na," Mayor Oscar Moreno said.
Moreno said they are expected to finish the vaccination of 4,500 individuals on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
The mayor also said that he will be sending a letter to vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. before the week is over.
"Magsulat na sad ta kang Secretary Galvez thanking them for the 12,000 doses sa AstraZeneca and telling them na mauubos na naman to para hopefully dugangan nila next week," Moreno said.
Moreno also mentioned that during the talk he had with Galvez, the vaccine czar said that the vaccination of senior citizens in Cagayan de Oro should be completed within 18 days or three weeks.
"The other day, nag igstorya mi ni Secretary Galvez, ingon sya nga 'yung 1,300 to 1,500 na pangako mo maliit yan. Dapat 5,000 to 10,000 ang kakayanin ng city. Senior matapos nila nang 18 days only or three weeks. At their average, aabot sila ng 10 weeks dito sa target seniors,'" Moreno said.
Cagayan de Oro's average number of individuals vaccinated per day is 1,300 to 1,500. The city's target number of senior citizens is 90,000.
Moreno said Galvez wanted the city's daily output to be increased to 5,000 per day by June.
Meanwhile, city epidemiologist Dr. Joselito Retuya assured the public that the safety and efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine and other Covid-19 vaccines have been proven.
"Safety and efficacy has been proven because gihatagan man ni sya og emergency utilization authority sa atong FDA (Food and Drug Administration)," Retuya said.
"Whatever vaccine, whatever platform it is, parehas sila tanan, maka preventar nga dili mopadulong sa severe disease ug dili ka mamatay," he added.