LGUs urged to safeguard vaccines during power outages

Local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas (Region 6) were told to come up with their contingency plans to ensure the safety and efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines in their storage in case of power outages due to bad weather.

This as phase two of the National Vaccination Days for Covid-19 in the region, originally set from Dec. 15 to 17, was postponed in anticipation of Tropical Storm Odette.

“Since the track of typhoon will be affecting probably portions of Visayas and Mindanao, the implementation date of our ‘Bayanihan, Bakunahan’ Covid-19 vaccination days part two will be moved to Dec. 20-22, 2021,” said Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray, spokesperson of the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD).

The tropical storm, to be called “Odette”, is racing towards the region.

She added that coordination with local government units (LGUs) in the region continues to determine their contingency plans, especially since they are anticipating brownouts in several areas due to the looming tropical cyclone.

In case there is a prolonged brownout, LGUs should have preparations to make sure that the temperature requirements of the vaccine are maintained, Natalaray said.

According to the health department website, Covid-19 vaccines have different recommended temperature requirements.

The region targets to vaccinate 689,430 individuals consisting of 40,869 for Aklan; 69,348 for Antique; 62,412 in Capiz; 10,437 in Guimaras; 183,159, Iloilo province; 304,707, Negros Occidental; and 18,498 in Bacolod City.

She added that they hoped to increase the number of senior citizens who will get fully vaccinated during the three-day “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” as currently only 59.26 percent of the target eligible elderly in the region are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the target vaccinees when added to the region’s cumulative accomplishment in vaccination will bring the number of those inoculated with the first dose to 70 percent of the population.

“The number is almost the same of what we have accomplished during the phase one of our NVD (national vaccination days),” she said.

At the end of the year, the region targets to vaccinate with the first dose some 5,579,388 individuals.
As of December 13, those who availed of their first dose is at 69.46 percent or 3,875,636 while 46.15 percent, or 2,547,971 are fully vaccinated.

Western Visayas has six provinces and two highly urbanized cities.* (Perla Lena)