Iloilo City to get 28,000 vaccine doses

THE Iloilo City Government is expecting 28,000 doses of AstraZeneca for its second delivery set on September 28.

The City Hall earlier received 21,000 AstraZeneca doses during the first delivery of its own-purchased vaccines.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said the sufficient supplies is in preparation for achieving herd immunity as soon as possible considering the city has the highest vaccination rate in Western Visayas.

Treñas added this is also being readied for booster shots for the already exposed healthcare workers and frontliners first once given go signal by the National Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

The City Government has spent P300 million for 600,000 AstraZeneca doses.

It has also added P114 million for 163,927 Novavax doses.

The Iloilo City Government is eyeing to fully vaccinate 50 percent of its 525,000 eligible population against Covid-19 by end of September to achieve herd immunity.

More than 31 percent, or 166,889, are already fully vaccinated as of September 9. The remaining 121,506 who got their first dose of vaccine are waiting for second dose schedule set based on brand’s interval.

City Hall is hoping to reach up to 90 percent fully vaccinated by December as protection against the Delta variant.

Treñas said he will ask the Inter-Agency Task Force to consider vaccinating children 12-17 years old considering they are vulnerable to viral infection. (PR)