Ilocos Norte mega vaccination site targets to inoculate 1,000 daily

Residents of Ilocos Norte province who belong to A1, A2, A3 priority groups line up at a mega vaccination site in Laoag City to receive their vaccines against COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of Ilocos Norte provincial government)

LAOAG CITY — A mega vaccination site at the Divine Word College of Laoag gymnasium here was opened on Tuesday (July 20) by the provincial government to hasten the rollout of vaccines against COVID-19.

Dr. Norman Rabago, provincial health consultant, said during a press briefing on Monday that 1,000 to 1,200 residents of Ilocos Norte are being eyed to be inoculated daily in the facility.

Residents in Laoag City, which is considered a “very high-risk” area of COVID-19 infections, will be prioritized to receive the coronavirus jabs in the vaccination site, according to Rabago.

At least 120,000 doses of the U.K.-made AstraZeneca vaccines are expected to be delivered to the province by the Department of Health (DOH) this month, according to an advisory from the provincial government.

These doses were ordered by the provincial government under a tripartite agreement with the national government last January. These will be used to inoculate primarily individuals who are classified as “economic essential workers.”

Data from the DOH as of July 18 showed that at least 33,444 residents of Ilocos Norte who belong to A1, A2, and A3 priority groups had received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

Of the 33,444, some 11,070 are medical health workers, 16,847 are senior citizens, and 5,527 are persons with comorbidities.  DOH data also indicated that 13,254 of the 33,444 were already fully vaccinated after receiving two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.

The province needs to inoculate 70 percent of its 609,588 population, based on the 2020 census, to achieve herd immunity. INQ