BAGUIO CITY – A total of 12,266 residents here have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 3,800 have already received both doses or equivalent to 96.45 percent of the 16,685 allocated doses as of April 15.

City Risk Communication Management officer Cecile Agpawa said this may be attributed to behavioral change due to national and local instructions received that are reliable and evidenced-based.

Agpawa said there is increased acceptance and eagerness to be vaccinated among residents, including senior citizens, as evidenced by inquiries for online and onsite registration.

She said the people’s show of acceptance to get the vaccines has made the Department of Health (DOH) decide to give an additional 7,200 doses good for two jabs of 3,600 more individuals in this city.

The city has started weeks back the vaccination of the A3 category or the persons below 60-years-old with co-morbidities after the all health workers have been vaccinated with the exception of those who deferred and refused to accept it.

The DOH-Cordillera  has received 50,102 doses of Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines as of April 15.

There have been 32,241 who received their first dose while 6,928 have received their second dose of the anti-COVID-19 vaccines.

Benguet recorded a high utilization rate of 82.87 percent having first vaccinated 4,493 people and 817 receiving second doses from the 6,409 allocated doses.

It was followed by Abra with a utilization rate of 81.15 percent; Kalinga with 73.28 percent; and Mountain Province,  65.72 percent. Two provinces however recorded a low acceptance rate – Apayao with 59.04 percent and Ifugao with 42.52 percent.