BY GLENDA TAYONA, IME SORNITO AND RUBY SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – Are Ilonggos willing to get coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine booster shots?
Aware that the vaccine would wane over time, sidewalk vendor Liberty Calunsod is willing to avail herself of the additional shot.
“Mayad gid nga may booster,” said the 56-year-old resident of Barangay Ortiz.
A booster shot would be an added protection, said Calunsod, who was fully vaccinated with China’s Sinovac vaccine.
“Wala man ako may nabatyagan sa lawas sang nagpa-vaccine ako luwas lang nga natuyo ako,” she shared.
Completing Sinovac’s two doses gave Calunsod and her husband the confidence to venture outdoors, she added.
“Nagapati takon nga maayo gid ang vaccine nga proteksyon kontra sa virus,” she further said.
However, Calunsod said, minimum health protocols such as wearing of facemasks and face shields must still be observed.
She also believed that vaccination is a “big factor” in the decline of coronavirus cases in the metropolis.
“Effective gid ang vaccine. Sang premiro nahadlok man ako pero galing nagapanilag ka man bala sa sitwasyon kapin pa kang una nga damo ang kaso. Amo ‘na nga nagpa-vaccine ako kag ang bana ko,” she stressed.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), agreed.
Being on the front lines, “we need to protect ourselves,” Solis said.
“We are also getting older. I encourage everybody nga magpa-booster,” he added.
Rosalie Coñate shared the same sentiment.
“Dugang ina nga protection kapin pa kay nagagwa ako sa amon balay kada adlaw para magbaligya sang mga prutas,” she said. “Kag umpisa nga ginbakunahan ako daw okay man ang pamatyag ko.”
She was fully vaccinated with Sinovac in September.
“Nagahulat man ako sa announcement sang city government kon san-o masugod ang booster kay mapa-booster gid ako,” she added.
Lady farmer Ma Sol of Tigbauan, Iloilo, and Leoney Cabasag, a mother from Arevalo district, acknowledged the threat of various variants of the virus causing COVID-19 as to why they would be willing to get a booster shot.
Thirty-seven-year-old father Alvin Paguntalan of Banate, Iloilo also believes a booster shot is needed.
This is also the reason why, he added, in other countries they already started giving booster shots.
“As the word booster suggests, it will boost protection so why not,” said Paguntalan.
Boat captain Herman Bajan, also of Banate, said he would not avail himself of a booster shot in the meantime.
“Panilagan ko anay. Kay kang Oct. 14 lang ako fully vaccinated,” said Bajan.
According to him, those who are yet to receive their anti-virus shots should be prioritized.
Bajan was inoculated with Sinovac through the Rural Health Unit of Jordan, Guimaras.
“Sa akon pabakuna daw wala man ako sang may nabatyagan sa lawas nga sakit. Ang mahambal ko lang sa mga tawo nga wala pa makabakuna nga magpabakuna na kay wala man sang epekto nga malain,” said Bajan.
The Department of Health (DOH) in Region 6 previously said booster shots could only be administered to Western Visayans once the region achieves herd immunity against COVID-19.
Region 6 needs to first vaccinate 70 percent of its target population, according to Dr. Daphynie Teorima, DOH-6 spokesperson.
Western Visayas has a population of around 7.9 million. DOH master-listed 5,579,388 target eligible population under Priority Group A.
As of Nov. 2, the region completely inoculated 1.581 million individuals, or only 28.35 percent of the target population.
Western Visayas has still a long way to go to achieve herd immunity, according to Teorima.
This is why, she said, DOH and other stakeholders are boosting efforts to increase the vaccination rate by yearend./PN
