The Quezon City government and the Department of Health (DOH) launched the “PinasLakas” Covid-19 booster vaccination drive at the Commonwealth Market in the city on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
The local government said the vaccination on Tuesday aimed to inoculate 500 market vendors and nearby residents with their primary and booster doses until 4 p.m. The vaccine brands to be administered to the recipients are Sinovac and Pfizer.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, DOH-Metro Manila Center for Health Development (DOH-MMCHD) Regional Director Dr. Gloria Balboa, and QC Task Force Vax to Normal Action Officer Dr. Maria Lourdes Eleria were present during the launch.
“Imbes na papuntahin sa ibang vaccination site, nilalapit na mismo natin ‘yung bakuna sa mga market vendors para hindi na nila kailangan pang iwanan ang kani-kanilang puwesto na pinagkukuhanan nila ng panggastos para sa kanilang pamilya (Instead of making them go to other vaccination sites, we are bringing the vaccination to the market vendors so that they don't have to leave their stalls where they earn money for their families),” Belmonte said.
Dr. Eleria said the city already started the week-long vaccination drive in the city’s public markets.
“Buong linggo tayong magbabakuna sa ating mga palengke at talipapa. Paraan natin ito para mas maging accessible ang vaccines at marami pang mabakunahang residente (We will conduct vaccinations in our markets and talipapa all week. This is our way of making the vaccines more accessible so we can vaccinate more city residents)," Eleria said.
The city government said that through the program, it was able to invite Muslim leaders to promote the importance of the Covid-19 vaccination to their vaccine-hesitant community.
It added that it already launched DOH’s PinasLakas program in schools to vaccinate five to 17 year old children a week before the start of face-to-face classes.
It also said that the vaccination of Covid-19 primary and booster doses will continue in the city’s health centers and selected vaccination sites.
The DOH’s Pinaslakas program aims to increase the number of Filipinos who have been given a Covid-19 booster shot to help maintain the country’s wall of immunity (doh.gov.ph).
It was first launched by the DOH on July 26 with the goal to inoculate 90 percent of the A2 group (senior citizens) with their first and second doses, and increase the booster coverage to 50 percent of the total adult population by Oct. 8,2022, the first 100 days of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in office.