DavSur to provide 950 Penta vaccines for Davao City’s barangays, districts

AN OFFICIAL from the City Health Office (CHO) said that the Davao del Sur will give around 950 vials of Pentavalent vaccine to Davao City through the Department of Health-Davao Region (DOH-Davao). 

Dr. Julinda Acosta, chief of the CHO-Technical Division, said during the ISpeak Media Forum on Thursday morning, April 18, 2024, at the City Mayor's Office that their office has asked the DOH-Davao for help for Penta vaccine augmentation.

“Kahapon nagpatabang me, nag-lobby me sa DOH basin naa pa silay supply sa uban provinces and Davao del Sur promised to give us 950 vials (Yesterday, we asked for help, we lobby at DOH if they have extra supply of vaccines from other provinces and Davao del Sur promised to give us 950 vials),” she said 

The Pentavalent vaccines are expected to arrive today, April 19, or by April 22. They will supplement the stock of vaccines in barangays and districts that have fewer vaccines for the upcoming Periodic Intensification of Routine Immunization (PIRI) in the last week of April, from Monday to Saturday.

CHO is conducting an inventory of the vaccines so that barangays or districts that have extra vaccines could give them to areas that lack supply. Once the supply of CHO has arrived for the third and fourth quarters of 2024, the office will replenish the barangays that donated their extra supply.    

She explained that for the intensified PIRI, they have no significant target; rather, they will make sure to give the remaining dose to the children who have not completed their vaccine. 

Regarding vaccine hesitancy, the City Health Office (CHO) said that they have intensified their orientation and information dissemination to the public, especially to parents, so that they will be notified that vaccines are essential for the welfare of their children.

“Continue po ang aming mga adbokasiya na mga kalihukan sa barangay kaya we tapped other stakeholders, ang atoang mga barangay captains, mga volunteers, we trained our social workers, and mother support groups or community supports nga makatabang sa amoa maghatag ug proper information and education sa lumulupyo sa ilang komunidad,” she said.

(Our advocacy continues at the barangay level, so we tapped other stakeholders, our barangay captains, and our volunteerism. We trained our social workers and mother support groups or community support groups that will help in spreading proper information and education to the residents of their community).

Acosta also assured that the vaccines available in the city are “safe, effective, and quality” and available and free for the public in the nearest health centers in their area. She said that vaccines have been present for 40 years and that, with their help, they have decreased the rate of vaccine-preventable diseases and even the mortality rate. 

However, Acosta advised the parents that if they notice a reaction in their child, they should immediately consult the doctors to assess whether the reaction is due to the vaccine.

Second District Councilor Richlyn N. Justol-Baguilod, chairperson of the health committee of the 20th Council, in her privilege speech, raised concerns on the pertussis cases in the city. She noted how the city has already logged two confirmed cases and that the council should plan immediate preventative solutions to combat the disease. She also encouraged everybody to wear facemasks, get children vaccinated, observe social distancing, maintain good hygiene, and consult a physician if they have symptoms of pertussis. RGP

Related stories: