Ilocos vaccinates 91,000 in anti-Covid vax drive

By John Michael Mugas 

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte––The Dept. of Health in Ilocos Region vaccinated against Covid-19 around 91,000 individuals during national vaccination days from March 10 to 12.
    The regional DOH said vaccines were brought to individuals in their homes and workplaces to achieve its target.
    Pangasinan province earlier targeted to inoculate at least 50,048 individuals, followed by La Union (14,035), Ilocos Norte (12,523), Ilocos Sur (12,184), and Dagupan City (2,847).
    The regional DOH earlier set out a regional daily target of 30,545 during the three-day campaign.
    The simultaneous nationwide Covid-19 vaccine rollout prioritizes unvaccinated individuals aged 12 years old and above, including individuals due for their second doses and those who have missed their prior vaccination dates.
    Unvaccinated senior citizens and minors aged 12 to 17 years old were in the priority list, the regional DOH said.
    The administration of booster shots to those in the health and economic sectors was ramped up, it added.
    The latest data from the regional DOH vaccination operations center showed at least seven million Covid-19 vaccines had been administered, of which 77.8 percent, or three million individuals in the region, had been fully vaccinated.
    At least 18.71 percent of the total vaccines administered were booster shots, the data showed.
    The DOH also said that it had vaccinated 30,603 children aged 5 to 11 years old, surpassing the initial target of 25,000 during the start of the rollout among the age group last month.
    At least 73,133 kids are eligible for the vaccine in the region.
    Although not mandatory, DOH regional director Paula Paz Sydiongco urged parents or guardians to have their kids vaccinated, saying that “protecting ourselves and our children from Covid-19 also means protecting our community.”