Vaccinees swarm the registration booth at the SM Seaside vaccination center. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City is anticipating more people to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.
As a result, the city is set to open at least seven more vaccination centers soon.
Dr. Jeffrey Ibones, City Health Officer, said the additional vaccination sites are part of their preparation to vaccinate more individuals against COVID-19.
Ibones said the new vaccination centers set to be opened are the University of San Jose Recoletos, Cebu Institute of Technology – University, Southwestern University, SM City Cebu, Gaisano Country Mall, and the two malls of Ayala – Ayala Center Cebu and Ayala Central Bloc.
“We’re now waiting for the go-signal to launch and open these vaccination centers. We are planning to open these sites in case we need to vaccinate a lot of people,” explained Ibones in Cebuano.
Cebu City currently has five vaccination centers. These are the Banilad and J. Alcantara Street campuses of the University of Cebu, SM Seaside City Cebu, and Robinsons Galleria.
The city aims to have at least 21 vaccination sites to achieve its target of inoculating 700,000 individuals with COVID-19 vaccines before 2021 ends.
“We’re also glad that we have identified all these 21 vaccination sites, including one located in Colon Street. We really need a vaccination site in Colon Street,” Ibones added.
Local officials here expressed optimism that they may be able to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.
This after the Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) reported on July 5 that the daily average of doses administered has hit close to 5,000.
Cebu City reported that they have given COVID-19 vaccines to around 110,000 individuals.
It needs to inoculate 700,000 out of its population of 900,000 in order to achieve herd immunity.
With around 25,000 people who are fully vaccinated, Cebu City’s COVID-19 immunization coverage rate as of this week is approximately 2.78 percent.
/bmjo
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