The Mabalacat City government in Pampanga kicked off a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination caravan in an effort to soon achieve population protection against the infection.
A component of the COVID-19 Response Integrated System in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Mabalacat City College, and the Management Information System, the caravan targets 1,500 more vaccinees in addition to those being inoculated at the SM City Clark jab site.
Mayor Crisostomo Garbo said that the vaccination caravan aims to hasten the inoculation of city residents, especially the senior citizens who have difficulty going to the mall.
“The Mabalaqueño elderly and others belonging to the priority groups need not line up as the city government brings the COVID-19 vaccination process closer to the people through the ‘Walk To’ system.”
Garbo said the Mabalaqueño elderly and others belonging to the priority groups need not line up as the city government brings the COVID-19 vaccination process closer to the people through the “Walk To” system, which was piloted at the Camachiles Resettlement.
COVID-19 Response Integrated System (CRIS) chief Dr. Jay Rivera said the renewed approach in vaccination is seen to be more convenient, effort- and time-efficient for the city residents.
“For the senior citizens’ comfort, the city government dedicates 200 slots per vaccination schedule wherein steps one to four of the vaccination process will be administered at their seats.”
For the senior citizens’ comfort, he said the city government dedicates 200 slots per vaccination schedule wherein steps one to four of the vaccination process (real-time registration to post-vaccination observation) will be administered at their seats.
This is to avoid physical contact and crowding during the scheduled vaccination rollout, Garbo noted.
Rivera said the city government eyes to conduct the same vaccination scheme once a week in strategic communities.
So far, there are more than 50,000 residents of Mabalacat who have been given their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and about 9,000 have also received their second dose.
The city has a population of 293,244 based on the 2020 Census of Population and Household of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The local government targets to vaccinate at least 60 percent of the residents or a total of 174,000 individuals to achieve population protection.
