Staff members and volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) from the Ilocos Norte Chapter vaccinated over 1,000 individuals against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Mabisa ang lahat ng bakuna at nakakaligtas ito ng buhay (All vaccines are effective and they save lives),” said PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon in a statement issued Thursday, Oct. 7.
“Hinihikayat ko ang lahat ng Pilipino na magpabakuna na ngayon, ito ang ating solution sa COVID-19 (I encourage all Filipinos to get vaccinated now, this is our solution to COVID-19),” he added.
As the active ally of the government, PRC vaccinated the residents with their first dose in the vaccination center run by the local government unit (LGU) located at the Northern Christian College (NCC) of Laoag on Oct. 2.
PRC Ilocos Norte Chapter Administrator Edna Orcino said that the PRC has been supporting the vaccination initiative of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte in NCC since its opening.
“We have deployed 15 volunteers and staff from PRC Ilocos Norte Chapter since the dry run last Sept. 10,” Orcino said. The Bakuna Center in NCC, she added, is open once a week depending on the supply provided by the Department of Health (DOH).
Aside from NCC, the PRC Ilocos Norte Chapter also supports the LGU-run Bakuna Centers located at the Divine Word College of Laoag and the Municipality of San Nicolas.
The PRC Ilocos Norte Chapter has one DOH-accredited Bakuna Center in Robinsons Ilocos Norte that opened on Sept. 16 to cater to COVID-19 priority groups in the region. As of Oct. 1, it has inoculated 461 clients.
Meanwhile, the Chapter has a Saliva Collection Site inside the chapter building with 14 saliva collectors. It has now catered to almost 7,000 clients since its opening on March 5.
Currently, PRC has 23 vaccination centers or “Bakuna Centers” and 16 mobile vaccination clinics or “Bakuna Buses.” As of Oct. 1, the PRC has vaccinated 284,869 individuals where over 108,329 are already fully vaccinated.