ILOILO City – With the City Health Office (CHO) still holding ample vaccine supplies provided by the Department of Health (DOH), the city government continues to encourage residents to avail themselves of free flu vaccines.
As of January 13, a total of 78,538 individuals in Iloilo City have been vaccinated since the program began on November 22, 2024.
To maximize coverage, CHO nurses and medical technologists have conducted roving, house-to-house visits, and vaccination drives in schools, government offices, and establishments.
CHO head Dr. Annabelle Tang explained that the vaccination campaign targets individuals aged 10 and above, including senior citizens.
She urged the public to take advantage of the program, noting, “We still have vaccines, please help us campaign for flu vaccination.”
Dr. Tang emphasized that they are expediting vaccine administration as the DOH-allocated doses are set to expire by the last week of January 2025.
The city government received 154,000 doses of flu vaccines in November 2024.
To ensure the vaccines are utilized, the city government has also offered them to other government agencies and local government units (LGUs) in the region.
The LGU of Antique, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have already availed of the vaccines.
Mayor Jerry Treñas assured that the CHO is ready to administer vaccines for agencies or LGUs lacking medical staff.
“We remain open to other LGUs requesting vaccines because we are ready to provide. These were given to us on November 22, and we want to ensure they are fully utilized,” he said.
The vaccination campaign underscores the city’s commitment to public health, aiming to prevent flu-related complications and protect vulnerable populations./PN
