DAVAO CITY, Jan 21, (PIA) - About 800,000 individuals in Davao Region have been listed to get the first batch of vaccination against COVID19.

The Department of Health XI thru Vaccination Team Leader Dr. Janis Olavides bared in the One Davao Virtual Presser that the department has initially recorded 800,000 Dabawenyos who are willing to be vaccinated and are part of the priority groups.

"As of now, although this is not yet complete, we have about 800,000 individuals willing to get vaccinated and the bulk of this number comes from Davao City with 539,725 individuals under the Group A priority," Olavides said.

The vaccination team leader elaborated that the department is guided by the World Health Organization or panel of experts regarding the prioritization on the provision of the vaccine.

"The first priority (Priority Group A), it covers the frontliners, national government agencies, indigent senior citizens, and the remaining senior citizens, our indigent population and then our uniformed personnel. Another priority (Group B), it covers our teachers and other national government agencies, OFWs, and other workers in essential services. And third, all Filipinos by 2021."

The Davao Region health experts highlighted the overall goal of the National Vaccination campaign which is to reduce the mortality and morbidity caused by COVID-19. And the vision is that all Filipinos will be vaccinated with the COVID-19 by the year 2023.

"Currently, we are already updated from the central, our National Task Force for Covid-19, with regards the immunization project.... We will be cascading this to all LGUs, and all implementing units, and parties and stakeholders, until the end of January 2021, we will be ready in case the vaccine will be available and ready in the country," Olavides said.

The DOH XI stressed that prioritization is needed given the limited supply of vaccines. While the President has committed to provide vaccines for all Filipinos, however, it will be done by phasing.

Dr. Raquel Montejo, Operation Chief of the COVID19 Vaccination Program explained that the prioritization is based on the level of vulnerability to the COVID19.

The first priority group will be vaccinated this year while other groups will get the vaccination program in 2022 until all Filipinos will be covered by 2023.

" For now, vaccines will only be available in government facilities and not yet available in the market."

Montejo requested those individuals who are willing to be vaccinated but not part of the priority groups to wait and trust the government as it is doing its best in fulfilling the goal of providing vaccines for all Filipinos.

Meanwhile, Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit Head Dr. Cleo Fe Tabada emphasized that while waiting for the vaccines in Davao Region, people must continue the practice of Minimum Health Standards (MHS) or popularly known in the BIDA Solusyon Campaign as the wearing of mask, proper sanitation, physical distancing, and believing and spreading right information. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)