Region’s cold storage for COVID-19 vaccines ready
THERE are 88 cold storage facilities so far identified by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development 1 where anti-COVID-19 vaccines will be stocked once they arrive in the region.
Dr. Rheuel Bobis, COVID-19 focal person in Region 1 and DOH-CHD 1 spokesperson, said the vaccines need to be stocked in cold storage facilities upon arrival to maintain their efficacy.
He told the Kapihan sa PIA that the vaccines for Region 1 will initially be stocked in the region’s cold storage facility before these are distributed to cold storage facilities in Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and La Union.
However, Bobis admitted that Region 1 is not listed among the priority areas that will receive the first shipment of the vaccines to arrive in the country because of region’s relatively low COVID-19 cases.
As of 5:00 p.m., February 8, Region 1 registered 7,065 confirmed cases, 3,732 of which are from Pangasinan, 1,137 from Dagupan City; La Union, 1,165; Ilocos Norte, 742 and Ilocos Sur, 119.
At the same time, Bobis said recoveries in the region is high at 5,558. Of the number, 2,655 were from Pangasinan and 960 from Dagupan.
Of the 276 deaths recorded in the region, 186 were from Pangasinan and 55 were from Dagupan.
According to Bobis, Region 1 is all set to receive the anti-COVID-19 vaccines and roll out the mass vaccination among first priority sectors – health front liners, senior citizens, indigent sector and uniformed personnel.
He said DOH-CHD 1 headed by Dr. Valeriano Lopez already submitted the list of persons to be vaccinated first in Region 1 and training of vaccinators that started by the last week of January, is continuing.
Bobis added that while waiting for the vaccines to arrive, the regional office continues to conduct information campaign to provide the people the true and accurate information about the benefits of vaccination, to counter negative information being spread on social media.
He said World Health Organization (WHO) even recommended to those who recovered from the disease need to take the vaccine to get the desired immunity.
It is necessary to have 60 to 70 percent of our people vaccinated in order to achieve what WHO said as herd immunity in a bid to halt the spread of the disease, he intoned. (Leonardo Micua)
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