Southern Leyte COVID-19 vaccination to continue despite Odette damage

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines — Despite the devastation caused by Typhoon Odette, the vaccination campaign in Southern Leyte will continue.

Jelyn Lopez-Malibago, spokesperson of the Department of Health (DOH), said authorities were happy that people who remained in the province were still interested to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to DOH data covering Dec. 17 to 20, a total of 6,477 individuals in the province have received their second dose and 290 others have received their first dose.

“We are happy to note that despite of what happened in Southern Leyte, our local government units remain committed in our campaign and the local themselves want to get vaccinated,” Malibago said.

As of Dec. 24, a total of 256,727 have received their first dose — and 171,668 are fully vaccinated.

Malibago said the DOH would not provide additional vaccines to the province until the supplies at the rural health units and the provincial health office had been consumed.

This way, she said, no vaccines would be wasted.

ATM