Residents wait for their turn to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at a vaccination facility in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. (Photo courtesy of Vigan City government)
LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—Ilocos Sur’s capital city of Vigan is nearing its target herd immunity against COVID-19, according to the city government data.
The city surpassed Wednesday its 39,388-target eligible population for COVID-19 vaccination, with 40,238 residents (102.16 percent), receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.
The same data showed that 23,871 individuals or 60.62 percent of the target in Vigan were vaccinated fully against the disease.
Provincial Department of Health officials hoped that the city would reach the 70-percent target by the end of November.
By Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, the time eyed for the three-day national COVID-19 vaccination drive, the city would be able to focus on its inoculation efforts, targeting the general population aged 12 to 17, according to the provincial DOH.
Minors
The latest city government data showed that 3,648 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been inoculated to minors in Vigan.
City health officials are looking at sending vaccination teams to the remote towns of Sugpon, Suyo, and Cervantes, which had less than 50-percent vaccination rate as of Nov. 11.
The Ilocos Sur government also tapped village officials to intensify their efforts in convincing their constituents to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Gov. Ryan Luis Singson said village officials are in the best position to reach out to hesitant residents.
Singson said the rollout in other parts of Ilocos Sur remained challenged by residents picky about vaccine brands.
He assured residents that all vaccines delivered to the province are the same in being safe and effective.
As of Nov. 11, provincial DOH data showed that 71.98 percent or 362,883 of the 504,179 target population in Ilocos Sur had received at least one dose of the vaccines.
The province needs to inoculate 141,296 people to reach the 70-percent target for herd immunity, the DOH said.