By Liza Agoot / Philippine News Agency
The city government is hopeful it can get 100 percent of the 281,000 target for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination from the adult population by the end of the year with the current 88.37 percent accomplishment rate.
Based on the November 3 data of the City Health Services Office (CHSO), there were 195,387 of the 281,000 eligible population who have received the full dose of COVID-19 vaccine while 52,929 have received the first dose.
There are now a total of 248,326 who have received at least one dose or full dose.
In a city’s Public Information Office (PIO) media release on Thursday, Dr. Rowena Galpo, chief of the CHSO, said the complete vaccination of the eligible population of 281,000 may take three to 10 weeks more, or up to the end of this year.
The 281,000 is an estimated number of the adult population aged 18 and above from the 366,000 city population based on the survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in 2020.
The CHSO report also shows that the A4 category or those in the economic sector leads the number of vaccinees with 80,330 receiving the full dose.
This was followed by the A3 or persons with comorbidities with 49,128; A2 or senior citizens with 29,663; A1 or those in the medical profession with 23,136; A5 or indigent population with 12,040 and the 1,100 from the rest of the population.
The CHSO said the immunity for the said population is pegged at 70 percent or full immunization of 196,700.
To reach the target, there is a need to administer the first dose to at least 7,813 weekly for three weeks; while 873 per day need to be jabbed their second dose up to the end of the year.
There were 5,698 from the different categories who were jabbed on Wednesday alone.
Galpo said strategies have been drawn to have more individuals immunized such as increasing the number of fixed vaccination sites and mopping up operations in the barangays and establishments.
“Vaccination sites need to be within reach of the working populace, thus the sites (were) moved to open spaces within the central business district,” the media release said.
Currently, four mega-vaccination facilities are being used in the city that caters to all eligible vaccinees regardless of category at the Bishop Cenzon open gymnasium of Saint Louis University, University of Baguio gymnasium, and two sites at the SM-Baguio parking area.
The Cordillera Convention Center at the Baguio Country Club was also converted to a mega-vaccination site during weekends. (PNA)-rir
