More islanders vaccinated

HUNDREDS OF residents from the island barangays off Zamboanga City have been vaccinated against the Covid-19 following orders from Mayor Beng Climaco to bring the government closer to the people.

 

Hundreds of residents of Tigtabon and Manalipa Islands are inoculated against the deadly virus just recently. (Vilmar Marquez and Christine Lim)

The recent vaccination roll out of the local government through the City Health Office (CHO) in Manalipa and Tigtabon Islands were also participated by the Department of Health, the Philippine National Police, the Joint Task Force Zamboanga, the Philippine Coast Guard, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, the Barangay Councils of Manalipa and Tigtabon and other government agencies. 

Those who received the vaccines were among the priorities listed by the Department of Health - A2, A3, A4 and A5 categories, according to one of Climaco’s executive assistants Vilmar Marquez, who was also part of the CHO vaccination teams led by Dr. Ezra Eijansantos and Cora Pagotaisidro, the National Immunization Program Coordinator. 

Christine Lim, of the City Health Office, said despite the many challenges, the local government exerted its best efforts to inoculate the eligible population and provide them added protection against Covid-19. 

The islanders were also provided with provisions by the Regional Police Office 9, and food and bottled water and brochure containing information about Covid-19 and health protocols. 

The mayor previously dispatched a team of CHO medical frontliners to Sacol Island to ensure the inhabitants are also protected from the deadly respiratory disease.

Over 400 people from Landang Gua, Pasilmanta, Landang Laum and Busay had been vaccinated against Covid-19 after the local government held a vaccine information campaign on the island and explained the importance of the medicine in fighting the spread of the virus. 

The campaign, spearheaded by the local government’s Communication and Demand Generation Team, effectively addressed disinformation and fake news about Covid-19 on the island.

Even Dr. Mamat Cham, a World Health Organization (WHO) Public Health Consultant, allayed fears that vaccines are harmful to human health. “It is not true that we will lose our sanity and our lives will be limited to two years after we are vaccinated,” he said.

One of Climaco’s Executive Assistants, Jojo Abdusalam, also helped in convincing islanders in getting themselves vaccinated. He said the local government is working hard to fight disinformation and conspiracy theories surrounding the efficacy of the vaccines by engaging different sectors and communities and helping residents come up with informed decisions.

The information drive was in collaboration with the Office of the Barangay Affairs, the Integrated Resource Development for Tri-People, the Philippine Navy and Marines and the Barangay Councils on Sacol Island. The Communication and Demand Generation Team was also joined by Vilmar Marquez, also an executive assistant of Climaco; Joan Saure of the Manicahan Health District, Nicole Iturralde of CHO, Mark Demirin and Al-Guin Ajijul, and Landang Gua Barangay Chairman Ben Insani, among others. (Zamboanga Post)