COVID-19 booster shots for health care workers in Bacolod City hospitals began Wednesday, November 17, while those for seniors will start before the end of the month.
The government is aiming to launch the booster vaccination for senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals before December, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said.
“The booster dose protocols for health care workers are different than those of the immunocompromised, so once that is out we can already start maybe even next week. The earliest is next week and the latest is on the National Vaccination Days,” he said.
The National Vaccination Days are set from November 29 to December 1.
Em Ang, Bacolod Emergency Operations Center executive director, said Moderna vaccines were given to hospitals in Bacolod City for the booster shots of doctors, nurses and other health care workers starting Wednesday.
Bacolod City’s master list for A1 health care workers is about 12,000, half of whom are hospital-based medical frontliners, she said.
Also to be given booster shots are personnel at the City Health Office and the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.
Ang said booster shots for senior citizens are scheduled to start November 25.
But they are aiming to administer the bulk of the booster shots for senior citizens during the National Vaccination Days, Ang said.
Bacolod City is aiming to vaccinate 100 percent of its target population before the end of November, Ang said.
Bacolod’s target population for vaccination is 410,000 residents according to Department of Health data, but the city government has set it at 424,992, she said.
Ang said with the three-day national vaccination drive Bacolod City may reach its target population for herd immunity.
Bacolod City has had single-digit new COVID-19 cases in the past few days, but she is worried that with the easing of restrictions the numbers could go up again, Ang said.
Ang appealed to parents to avoid bringing their young children to the malls and crowded areas to protect them from getting COVID-19.
“We are appealing to the public to please continue observing minimum health protocols,” she said.
Bacood City had seven new COVID-19 cases for a total of 642 active cases on Wednesday, the Department of Health reported.*