500,000 priority individuals for COVID vaccination identified in Davao City

DAVAO CITY – The City of Davao will need to vaccinate a total of 531,673 individuals who comprise the local government’s priority sector in its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program, Davao City Health Office (CHO) acting head Dr. Ashley Lopez said on Tuesday.
 
In his presentation during the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (C.O.D.E.) Team visit at the A. Mabini Elementary School in Barangay Talomo, Lopez said of the total individuals in the government’s top priority list, the city has identified 16,677 frontline health workers, 77,189 senior citizens, 432,549 indigents, and 5,258 security personnel.
 
He said the health workers in the COVID-19 referral hospitals, including government-run Southern Philippines Medical Center and other private hospitals, will be the first to receive the vaccines, and those workers in the quarantine isolation facilities that include the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.
 
The local government here targets to vaccinate around 1.2 million people to achieve herd immunity.
 
He said the master listing of the health care facilities was taken care of by the City Health Office, senior citizens by Office of the Senior Citizen’s Affairs, indigents by the City Social Welfare and Development Office, and uniformed personnel by the police, military, and Bureau of Fire Protection.
 
He added that the local government has already organized vaccination teams, with each team comprising at least six members, assigned for every vaccination site.
 
According to Lopez, the local government has initially identified A. Mabini Elementary School and SPMC as vaccination sites for the initial rollout of the immunization program but they are also coordinating with University of Southeastern Philippines, Ateneo de Davao University-Matina Campus, University of Mindanao campuses in Guianga in Tugbok District, Ilang in Tibungco, and Bolton St.
 
He said the city’s 18 district health districts have been directed to prepare at least 14 additional vaccination sites.
 
National Task Force Against COVID 19 Chief Implementer Carlito G. Galvez Jr. assured the local government of Davao that it will receive an equitable share of the vaccines that are expected to arrive in the country this year.
 
He said the national government will allocate vaccines to the city from 5.2. to 9.3 million doses of AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BionTech that will arrive sometime this month or March from the COVAX facility, and 1.5 to 1.6 million doses of Sinovac of China and Sputnik V of Gamaleya Research Institute of Russia in February and March.
 
He added the country has cornered 17 million doses of vaccines from AstraZeneca, of which 11 million doses will be procured by the local government units and six million by the private sector. The country’s Food and Drug Administration has granted the application for emergency use authorization of Pfizer-BionTech and AstraZeneca.
 
As of February 15, DOH-Davao Region reported 12 new cases, bringing the total cases to 19,016, with 2,477 active, 15,756 recoveries, and 783 deaths in the region.
 
Out of the total, Davao City, which reported the highest COVID-19 cases in Mindanao, tallied 12,504 cases, with 1,259 active, 10,642 recoveries, and 603 deaths. Davao de Oro reported 1,044 cases, Davao del Norte with 2,764, Davao del Sur with 1,297, Davao Occidental with 211, and Davao Oriental with 1,196.