Bataan province is now ready for mass COVID-19 vaccination, having set up five operational centers, with 10 more centers being readied to speed up the vaccine rollout.
Bataan Governor Albert Garcia said the province aims to reach herd immunity before the end of this year.
“This will depend on the availability of vaccines.”
However, Garcia added this will depend on the availability of vaccines from the national government.
He said they have requested the Department of Health (DOH) to share with the province more vaccines as they now can inoculate more people.
Already operational are the vaccination centers in the towns of Dinalupihan, Limay, and Mariveles and the Bataan People’s Center and Lou-is Resort in Balanga City.
Being readied are inoculation centers in the towns of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Bagac and Morong and the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles as well as another in a private sector-owned venue.
“Ang target natin, sabay-sabay mag-operate. Kung makapagbakuna tayo ng 5,000 to 10,000 sa isang araw ay tapos tayo sa target natin na herd immunity before the end of the year kung mayroong sapat na supply ng bakuna (Our target is to operate simultaneously. If we can vaccinate 5,000 to 10,000 a day, we will be done with our target of a herd immunity before the end of the year if there is an adequate supply of vaccine),” Garcia said.
More than 14,000 Bataeños have so far been vaccinated, he noted, coming from the medical and non-medical frontliners and senior citizens priority groups.
“This month, those with morbidity and the economic frontliners will be next.”
“Senior citizens na ang binabakunahan at hopefully sa buwang ito ay mga may morbidity at economic frontliners na ang kasunod kapag may supply na ng bakuna (Senior citizens are being vaccinated and hopefully, this month, those with morbidity and the economic frontliners will be next when there is a supply of vaccines),” he said.
Garcia said vaccination for the second dose has started, depending on the brand of vaccines first administered.
“Ang second dose ay depende sa bakuna. Ang iba ay nakapag second dose na especially ang mga nauna na binakunahan ng Sinovac gaya ng mga medical workers sa Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center. Ang iba na AstraZeneca ibinakuna ay maghihintay pa (The second dose depends on the vaccine. Others were able to get a second dose especially those previously vaccinated by Sinovac such as medical workers at the Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center. Others vaccinated with AstraZeneca will still have to wait),” he said.
“Nakikiusap ako sa inyong lahat, sa ating mga kababayan na alang-alang sa kaligtasan natin, ng mga mahal sa buhay at ating bayan ay sundin sana ang mga health protocols para bumaba na ang infection at makaginhawa na ang ating mga healthcare workers na ngayon ay hirap na hirap na (I appeal to all of you, to our provincemates for the sake of our safety, our loved ones and our nation to follow the health protocols to bring down the infection and to give ease to our healthcare workers who are now having difficulties in coping with the situation),” Garcia added.
He asked authorized persons outside residence working in the NCR Plus bubble to strictly observe the sanitation and safety measures especially when coming home to Bataan.