THE SUMMER capital shelled out P18 million for the advance payment of over 380,000 doses of anti-coronavirus disease vaccines for the city.
In a report from the Baguio City Public Information Office, City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña said the city’s finance officers were able to remit the amount to AstraZeneca via bank transfer to formalize the procurement of the needed vaccines.
The report added local officials are keeping their fingers crossed on the arrival of the vaccines, as the city plans to roll out the initial 30 vaccination sites.
The local government earlier procured from the pharmaceutical company over 380,000 doses of vaccines that will be used to vaccinate more than 190,000 adult population of the city to achieve the prescribed 70-percent herd immunity.
“There are slight delays in the projected arrival of the purchased vaccines (AztraZeneca) but the same will be in the city probably by the first quarter of this year or by the early second quarter,” he said.
He said what is important is the local government was able to purchase the prescribed doses of vaccines that will support the aggressive implementation of the city’s vaccination program to achieve the desired her immunity of the population.
Dela Peña added the City Government will also be receiving its share from the vaccines apportioned by the National Vaccine committee for local governments and forthcoming donations of vaccines from the private sector.
The city has a population of more than 378,000 based on the day culled from the latest census that was conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, where 63 percent or more than 239,000 individuals are said to be adults.
Based on the herd immunity of 70 percent, the number of individuals that should be vaccinated is more than 190,000.
Dela Peña said personnel of the City Health Services Office, health professionals, members of the barangay health emergency health teams and volunteers have been working round the clock to ensure that it will be all systems go for the implementation of the mass vaccination program.
He called on residents to have themselves vaccinated to prevent them from contracting the coronavirus that might eventually compromise their health condition in the future once they refuse to be vaccinated.