Amid the 220 deaths recorded in Davao City from January to July 2, 2022, due to the coronavirus disease, the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force underscored the importance of vaccination and booster shots to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, the spokesperson of the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force, said that of the 220 who succumbed to COVID-19, 157 were
unvaccinated while 58 were vaccinated but did not receive any boosters. The vaccination background of the five others is still being verified.
From June 26 to July 2, the four COVID-19 deaths reported included three unvaccinated patients and one vaccinated but without a booster dose.
“Very sad man gud na sya nga reality. We can prevent death from COVID-19. Kung dili man nato ma-prevent ang infection kay dili bya gyud nato na sya makit-an, no matter how much we do, sometimes mag-slip gyud no, naa gyud ma-infect (It’s a very sad reality. We can prevent deaths from COVID-19. We may not prevent infection since it’s invisible, no matter what we do, sometimes it slips in and infection is inevitable) What we’re trying to prevent is death because of COVID-19,” she said, adding that this motivates them to push for the vaccination to save lives.
The city health official said they are not forcing people to get immunized but they will not stop convincing them of the benefits and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine.
She also said that the city government of Davao, along with the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force and the Vaccination Cluster, will not challenge anybody’s belief regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Schlosser continued, “We are encouraging you to protect yourself, dili lang kamo pati inyong family members. Kay if ang imong family member na-belong sa vulnerable sector, you might be the reason na mangamatay sila (We are encouraging you to protect yourself, not just yourself but also your family members. If your family member belongs to the vulnerable sector, you might be the reason that they will die due to the severity of the disease).”
She then urged senior citizens and immuno-compromised individuals to get inoculated with the two-dose series or if they have already done so, getting their booster jabs should be a top priority since most deaths belonged to the 60 to 69 and 70 to 79 age groups.
With the rising daily COVID-19 cases that have already exceeded the five percent positivity rate, which hit 6.3 percent on July 6, she said Dabawenyos should no longer wait to get their boosters from their nearest district health center.
She also said that while the district health centers are still not crowded, Dabawenyos should go there as soon as they can as they cater to COVID-19 vaccinees from Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dr. Schlosser also reminded the public to continue observing the minimum public health standards (MPHS) of face mask-wearing and frequent handwashing. CIO
