ILOILO City – Western Visayas is still waiting for the final advisory on the availability of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines for economic workers, or those belonging to the A4 priority group.
Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 said the vaccines currently available for the region are intended for priority groups A1 (frontline healthcare workers), A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities).
“For now, the A4 vaccination starts in the NCR (National Capital Region) plus eight other areas. We’re still waiting for vaccine allocations from the central office for our A4 (group),” Natalaray said.
As of June 5, according to the Regional Vaccination Operations Center (RVOC), the region vaccinated 90,975 out of the 130,067 master-listed under A1; 83,754 out of 788,846 listed for A2; and 66,025 out of the 132,363 listed for the A3 priority group.
Of the 244,623 vaccinated with their first dose under the priority group A, 123,640 received Sinovac vaccine, and 120,983 got the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Further, 71,548 individuals already received their second dose.
Meanwhile, the intensified campaign to address vaccine hesitation in the region is being pushed as COVID-19 cases continue to increase.
Earlier, Natalaray said the low vaccination especially among barangay healthcare workers and barangay health emergency response teams was due to their fear of possible side effects and misconceptions circulated by anti-vaccine groups. (PNA/PN)
