BATANGAS CITY– Around 2,000 individuals received their first jab in a special mass vaccination program of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 at the provincial Dream Zone Center in Batangas City for Taal Volcano eruption responders, evacuees and priority groups from different local government units (LGUs), the whole of Friday, July 16.
Emergency responders from different units of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Batangas Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Offices (DRRMOs) wasted no time in taking the opportunity to be vaccinated to make themselves more efficient responders and improve their immune system.
“I am not used to get a vaccine all my life, but this time, I am very much convinced that I need to get my jab, not just for myself, but for my family and the public I serve,” a police corporal who requested anonymity told Manila Bulletin.
Volunteers from partner agencies like the Philippine National Police and the Batangas Medical Center joined about a hundred more the vaccination teams of the Department of Health (DOH), the Batangas Provincial Health Office, and the Batangas Province Inter-Agency Task Force Against COVID-19 during a vaccination drive attended by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and NTF Deputy Chief Implementer and Testing Czar Vince Dizon.
In his message via zoom, Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas thanked Roque and Dizon for their role in the vaccination program of the Batangueños, especially the disaster responders.
Also present and gave support to the mass vaccination were former Depurty Speaker Raneo E. Abu, DOH-4A OIC-Regional Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco and other local officials.
Meanwhile, DOH – CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo assures residents in various evacuation centers in Batangas of their health and safety against COVID-19 as more supplies of vaccine and antigen test kits were distributed to identify and prevent the spread of the virus.
“Provincial health teams (PHTLs) including human resource for health (HRH) are deployed in evacuation centers and closely monitoring the health of the residents to prevent further cases of COVID-19 infection,” Janairo stated.
On July 14, the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) recorded five COVID-19 infections in different evacuation centers – 1 in the town of Agoncillo; 2 – in Balayan; and 2- Laurel.