BY GLENDA TAYONA AND IME SORNITO
ILOILO City – A total of 55,436 residents of the province of Iloilo, including children aged 12 to 17, availed themselves of anti-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in this city.
“It doesn’t matter where the accomplishment will go,” said Gov. Arthur Defensor who requested for a “data unbundling” from Mayor Jerry Treñas.
What’s more important, according to Defensor, was to determine how many provincial residents are yet to receive their shots.
“We are chasing the numbers here. (The data from the city) is important sa volume sang vaccine nga pangayuon naton,” Defensor said.
The city, however, has yet to give a breakdown of vaccinees per local government unit (LGU) of the province.
Defensor thanked the mayor for also catering to his constituents.
Treñas said it is the city’s aim to “extend all the support we could to our fellow Ilonggos.”
Data (as of Nov. 12) from the Department of Health Regional Vaccination Operations Center showed Iloilo City completely vaccinated 95.22 percent of its target population of 525,000.
Treñas was recently authorized by the city council to share vaccines with other LGUs in Panay Island.
On Thursday, the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (PHO) head, Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, expressed concern over the inclusion of provincial residents in the city’s record, especially that the Department of Health has set a 70 percent target eligible population to the LGUs.
She cited, for instance, that residents of Oton, Leganes, Zarraga, Pavia, and Santa Barbara availed themselves of anti-COVID vaccination in the city.
As of Nov. 10, the province vaccinated 40 percent of its target population.
Fully vaccinated individuals included healthcare workers – 56,129; senior citizens – 61,168; persons with comorbidities – 79,978; uniformed personnel – 96,036; indigents – 27, 745, and other priority groups –8,698.
The province targets to vaccinate 1,448,757 individuals to reach herd immunity by the end of the year./PN
