Cebu City will need volunteer vaccinators for vaccine rollout
A healthcare worker prepares a Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. | REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City will need at least 50 vaccinators when it implements its mass vaccination program this year.
Cebu City Health Officer, Doctor Jeffrey Ybonez, said that the vaccinators will be assigned to the 10 vaccine sites already planned for the program.
Each site will need four vaccinators, which means that the city will need 40 vaccinators at the minimum.
However, the city may need more if it chooses a shifting method for the vaccinators.
Ybonez said they are hoping that doctors and nurses will be willing to volunteer for the program so the city government will not be hiring vaccinators anymore.
The City Health has a few vaccinators, but all of them will be utilized, other regular vaccine programs for children may have to be stopped.
This situation would not be ideal, Ybonez said, because the vaccination program may reach up to 10 months if the target of 70 percent of the population is to be achieved.
“We are already talking with the medical sector, doctors associations, nurses associations, nga basin makatabang sila when the time comes,” said Yboñez.
Even now, the City Health is already receiving offers to volunteer for the program as many medical professionals are eager to do their share in the vaccination activity.
Yboñez hopes that more people will be willing to volunteer when the time comes.
Mayor Edgardo Labella said that the choices of the city for vaccines are down to two as of now, Moderna and Pfizer.
The mayor said the city is more inclined to choose either of the two especially since Pfizer will be used for the first roll-out of vaccines to medical workers this month.
“We are capable of storing Pfizer,” said Labella.
However, the mayor said the city is still waiting for the national government’s full allocations before buying its own.
As of the 10 vaccination sites, Labella said it will most likely be in gyms with easy access to hospitals so that in case an emergency happens, medical facilities will be ready to assist.
The mayor urges the people to remain vigilant as vaccines will be coming soon.
“The vaccine is not a substitute to the minimum health protocols,” he added. /rcg
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