The Iloilo City Government has added a door-to-door strategy to reach out to more eligible population for its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program.
Jeck Conlu, spokesperson for the Iloilo City COVID team, on Thursday, Sept. 9, said they started the door-to-door campaign with establishments along the J.M. Basa Street or better known as Calle Real, where 150 workers from nine firms were vaccinated.
“We are adding this strategy because we wanted to reach herd immunity so that our people, our city will be protected before end of the year or by early next year. They no longer have reasons not to get vaccinated because we are the ones going to them,” he said.
Conlu added they have no specific target sector or number for this strategy but will just serve those who are willing to be inoculated.
Two weeks ago, the city government launched its barangay-based vaccination coupled with house-to-house vaccination.
He added that this week they opened two big vaccination sites at the Iloilo Convention Center and at the Central Philippine University (CPU) to accommodate walk-in vaccinees.
With the massive vaccination drive, Conlu said the city government is optimistic that the target of fully vaccinating 50 percent of the eligible population before the end of this month will be achieved.
Data from the City Health Office (CHO) showed that as of Sept. 8, the city government has already vaccinated with their first dose 54.70 percent or 287,198 of their target 525,000 population using different brands of the Covid-19 jabs.
Already, 30.24 percent or 158,751 are fully vaccinated.
“We are optimistic that we can achieve the 50 percent that based on the first doses that we have already inoculated. A lot of them will be receiving their second dose this month,” he said.PNA
