Low turnout among walk-ins prompts Talisay to do mobile vaccination

A health worker prepares a dose of Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination for residents in Mandaluyong on July 15, 2021. (File photo from AFP)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Talisay City government is set to open mobile vaccination centers, which will add to the list of localities here that are planning to scale up their vaccination efforts by deploying satellite vaccination sites.

Mayor Gerald Anthony ‘Samsam’ Gullas on Sunday, August 9, announced that they planned to put up mobile vaccination centers in several barangays next week.

This after they noted a low turnout of walk-ins last Saturday, August 28.

Gullas, in a post on social media, said the city, together with healthcare worker-volunteers from All Terrain-Medical Relief Organization (AMRO), expected to vaccinate on Saturday at least 1,500 individuals who had yet to secure a schedule for their inoculation.

But he said they only vaccinated 302.

Gullas also said they observed a drop in the number of vaccinees in all of the city’s existing four vaccination sites.

“Sa una we used to vaccinate 2,500 to 3,000 kabuok tawo a day. Wala pa gani gi allow ang walk-in ato and that time 3 ra kabuok atong sites. We were averaging around 900-1000 people a day ato na time for each vax site,” said Gullas.

(Before we used to vaccinate 2,500 to 3,000 people a day. We even did not allow walk-ins at our three sites at that time. We were averaging around 900 to 1000 people a day at that time for each vax cite.)

“Karon na allowed na ang walk ins. 100+ per site na lang. Around 400-500 a day total in all 4 sites na lang ang magpabakuna,” he added.

(Now we allowend walk-ins. But we only got 100+ per site. Around 400 to 500 a day total in all 4 sites who want to be vaccinated.)

As a result, the mayor said the city would be launching mobile vaccination sites this September.

“…kay one reason akong gi tanaw na wala nay muadto sa malls is because basin wala tawn ikaplete atong igsoon Talisaynons. Basin kapoyan sad og parking ug linya kung naay motor or sakyanan,” Gullas said.

(… because one reason we are seeing that no one will go to the malls is because perhaps our fellow Talisaynons don’t have money to pain for their fare. Perhaps, they find it a hassle to park and line up if they have a motorcycle or vehicle.)

Based on the recent data from the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC), COVID immunization coverage in Talisay City is at 16.44 percent as of August 24.

This would mean that out of the city’s population of roughly 263,000, around 43,200 were so far fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The same report showed that 35 percent, or around 92,000 residents in Talisay City, already received the first dose of the vaccine.

Talisay City is a third-class component city that borders Cebu City on the south.

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