The Davao City COVID-19 Task Force is ready to roll out booster shots for the 12 to 17 years old group once the guidelines from the Department of Health (DOH) are available.
Davao City COVID-19 Task Force Spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlossser revealed this in a Viber interview with the City Information Office (CIO) on Monday, June 20, 2022.
“Wala pa ta’y guidelines. We did not receive any confirmation from DOH. In case naa na ang mandate and cascaded to the region, it would be easy for us to roll it out kay set up naman atoang mga vaccination hubs. Set up napud ang atong manpower and logistics (We have no guidelines yet. We did not receive any confirmation from DOH. In case there’s a mandate cascaded to DOH region 11, it would be easy for us to roll it out since our vaccination hubs are already set up. Our manpower and logistics are ready),” Dr. Schlosser said.
In a recent Laging Handa briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) submitted its recommendation to the office of Secretary Francisco Duque III for approval of the rollout of booster shots for 12 to 17 years old.
Once Duque gives the go signal, DOH will then immediately start drafting the guidelines.
Dr. Schlosser said that similar to the COVID-19 vaccination rollout for other population age groups, it would still be piloted in Metro Manila before implementation in other regions.
As of June 17, 2022, the Vaccination Cluster administered second jabs to at least 137,786 in the 12 to 17 years old population age group, which is 71.76 percent of the 147,894 who received their first COVID-19 shots. The target number to be inoculated in this age group is 191,998.
She said school-based mobile vaccinations will be strengthened to not just increase the number of 12 to 17 vaccinees but also the five to 11 years old population.
The Vaccination Cluster has lined up simultaneous school-based mobile vaccinations on June 24, 2022, in three public elementary schools.
Vaccination teams will be sent to Catalunan Grande Elementary School in the first district, Felipe Calderon Elementary School in the second district, and Don Juan Dela Cruz Central Elementary Schools in the third district.
This, after recent school-based mobile immunization activities yielded positive results.
At least 146 students received their anti-COVID-19 vaccine shots at Sta. Clara Elementary School while 276 got immunized at Daniel M. Perez Elementary School SPED, and 64 at San Roque Central Elementary School.
Meanwhile, 503 were innoculated at the Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF) and 53 at the University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep)-Obrero on June 15, 2022.
Preparations are underway for bringing the mobile vaccination to the Assumption College of Davao, Mindanao Malayan Colleges (MCM)-Mapua, and Rizal Memorial Colleges (RMC).
The Vaccination Cluster started the school-based immunization due to the low turnout of vaccinees for primary doses in the pediatric population of five to 11 years old and low booster rollout for booster shots in all priority groups.
As of June 17, 2022, only 8.84 percent or 21,410 of the target 242,209 received the first doses among children five to 11 years old. Of the 21,410, only 17,359 or 7.17 percent got their second primary doses.
Check out the operational vaccination hubs this week ?
Outgoing Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, who took her oath as the 15th vice president of the Philippines on June 19, 2022, earlier said that anti-Covid vaccines will be administered in the city’s district health centers as the COVID-19 Task Force will slowly wrap up vaccinations in all public jab sites. CIO
