City Government of Kidapawan prepares for COVID-19 vaccine rollout

NEWS | 2021/02/18 | LKRO

City Government of Kidapawan prepares for COVID-19 vaccine rollout

KIDAPAWAN CITY (February 16, 2021) – The City Government of Kidapawan is exerting more efforts ahead of the awaited rollout of COVID-19 vaccine in the city anytime soon this year and in line with the mandate of the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) for Covid-19 and with the guidelines set by the Vaccination Program of the Department of Health (DOH).

No less than Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph A. Evangelista presented the city’s Mass Vaccination Roll Out Plan through a Power Point presentation at the City Convention Center today, February 16, 2021 with the presence of Cotabato Governor Nancy A. Catamco, Dr. Marjorie Aggalot DOH Representative for Cotabato Province, Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) Head Dr. Eva C. Rabaya, City Health Office Dr. Jocelyn Encienzo, Assist. City Health Officer Dr. Ted Calica, City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (CESU) OIC Dr. Nerissa Paalan, and other stakeholders.

“We are doing everything we can to have an organized and systematic vaccination and we started it by coming up with a comprehensive vaccination plan which is essential in the final stages of fighting the disease”, said Mayor Evangelista.  

The rollout plan contains several phases which includes creation of a master list of the priority and eligible populations for vaccination such as senior citizens, front liners, and other set of vaccinee individuals or groups, identification of vaccination sites, trained human resource converted into teams needed to administer the vaccines to the populace, preparation of cold chain storage necessary to secure the vaccines the moment they arrive.

The plan also encompasses simulation or dry run of the vaccination proper where city officials among the first ones to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Also incorporated in the plan is the actual vaccination rollout in approved vaccination sites and the post-vaccination and monitoring of vaccinees as well as assessment.

The City Government of Kidapawan is the first among the LGUs in the Province of Cotabato to formulate and present its local mass vaccination plan and is consistently beefing up its preparations ahead of the anticipated arrival of the vaccines and its subsequent rollout.  

With the approval of the Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Kidapawan, the city government has allotted some P28.9M from the 30% Quick Response Fund of the City’s DRRMO to ensure the purchase of around 49,500 COVID-19 vaccines which will cover 30% population of the city. At the same time, this serves as augmentation to the Covid-19 vaccines provided by the national government which will accommodate more or less 115,500 representing 70%of the population of the city.

A thorough coordination with the DOH, RIATF for COVID-19, RIATF for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and other concerned agencies is being done by the city officials led by Mayor Evangelista to make sure the vaccination plan will be properly executed and according to schedule.

The local chief executive is highly optimistic that the moment the vaccination for priority population is completed, the city government can directly proceed in covering all the target population eligible for vaccination.

The city health officials of Kidapawan and the DOH12 go hand in hand in in advocating the importance of vaccination as the only way to control or stop the spread of the disease. Significantly, the campaign to provide significant information to the community on the need to be vaccinated and to attain a herd community is now more imperative for front liners.

At present, the City Government has identified a total of 6 vaccination sites to spearhead COVID-19 vaccination and these are Kidapawan City Pilot Elementary School, Kidapawan City National High School, Notre Dame of Kidapawan College, Kidapawan Doctors College, and the St. Mary’s Academy of Kidapawan.

Meanwhile, after his power point presentation, Mayor Evangelista along with Gov. Catamco and other officials proceeded to the area where two refrigerated vans are safely placed. These refrigerated vans will be used as storage facilities for COVID-19 vaccines once they arrive. The vans have -20 to -25 degrees Celsius which is the required temperature for the vaccine to retain its efficacy.  

“It is so important that we secure the vaccines and keep its integrity from the time of its arrival and when it is being transported with these storage facilities”, said Mayor Evangelista as he underlined the preparations made by concerned offices tasked to do especially the CESU, CHO, and the PNP for security.

The area where the refrigerated vans are being safekept is secured and accessible at the same time so as to ensure fast delivery by the time the mass vaccination starts. (AJPME/JSCJ)