Covid-19 vaccination for Cordillera rolls out March 7

HEALTH workers in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will be among the first batch or recipients once the Covid-19 vaccine is rolled out.

Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, Department of Health (DOH)-CAR assistant regional director and spokesperson, said the first batch of Covid-19 vaccine, which arrived March 1 in the country, will be distributed in CAR on March 7.

“The vaccination process for the Cordillera Region will start on March 7 in five locations such as the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital, Kalinga Provincial Hospital, Bontoc General Hospital and the Benguet General Hospital which comprises two regional hospitals and three local government unit hospitals,” Pangilinan said.

First to be vaccinated are health frontline workers of hospitals comprised of 3,608 individuals.

“Based on the structured set-up made for the distribution of the vaccine, from the central office in Manila this will be brought to the centers for health development or the regional health offices which will then be brought to the provinces that will be tasked to bring the vaccine to their designated hospitals. For Baguio General Hospital, it would be the Baguio City Health Services Office (CHSO) that would directly give the vaccine to BGH,” Pangilinan said.

DOH-CAR earlier stated that it seeks to at least vaccinate 70 percent of its total population.

The vaccine, when applied to a recipient, seeks to develop anti-bodies against Covid-19.

DOH said an individual can still acquire the coronavirus even when vaccinated.

“Based on the simulation initiated in the region, recipients will undergo a confirmation of their registration and where they are to be vaccinated. This will be followed by counseling and the signing of final consent where individuals will have to sign an informed consent. The recipient will then be ushered to the screening area to undergo vital sign examination and history before being ushered to the vaccination area, followed by the post vaccination monitoring area where the individual will be monitored for adverse effects from the vaccine,” Pangilinan added.

For Baguio City, the City Health Services Office calculates around 15 minutes from registration until vaccination proper to complete the process.