Batangas map. INQUIRER FILES
LUCENA CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) in Calabarzon (Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon) region started the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination in Batangas City on Tuesday, June 20.
“COVID-19 and its variants still persist and can still threaten our lives. It is important to have a booster for added protection against COVID-19,” Dr. Ariel Valencia, DOH-Calabarzon director, said in a report by the Health Education and Promotion Unit of DOH–Calabarzon.
The bivalent vaccination kick-off was held at Batangas Medical Center in Batangas City.
The bivalent COVID-19 vaccine contains two mRNA (messenger Ribonucleic acid) components, one of which corresponds to the original strain of the virus that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and the other corresponds to the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant, according to the website of the United States Food and Drug Administration.
While the current vaccines against COVID-19 still provide protection against the disease and its most severe outcomes, the bivalent vaccine targets the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more contagious Omicron sub-variant.
The mRNA, which is present in all living cells, carry the genetic information needed to make proteins.
The region has been allotted an initial 52,740 bivalent vaccines. The DOH targets 244, 000 recipients in the region.
The DOH did not provide records of their COVID-19 vaccinations in the region.
Only healthcare workers and senior citizens who have received their second booster shots within the last four to six months are eligible for the first phase of the bivalent vaccine rollout.
As of Tuesday, the DOH-Calabarzon reported that the number of active COVID-19 cases in the region declined to 551 from the 1,412 recorded on June 1.
The latest figures showed that Batangas topped the list with 211 active cases followed by Laguna with 156; Cavite with 105; Rizal with 49; and Quezon, 30.
The regional health authorities did not provide information on the COVID-19 variants of the active cases in the region.
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