Bacolod Starts COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots For Priority Groups

Last November 17, healthcare workers and medical frontliners or the A1 category in Bacolod City were given vaccine booster shots against the coronavirus. Frontliners from the Philippine Dental Association Inc. Bacolod City Chapter received their vaccine booster shots. A total of 30 dentists were given the vaccine boosters. [1]

The week after, the city government expanded the vaccine booster to A2 groups or senior citizens and A3 groups or persons with comorbidities and illnesses. Persons with comorbidities include living with immunodeficiency virus, active cancer or malignancy, patients under immunosuppressive treatments, and transplant patients. [2]

Medical Deputy of the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force, Dr. Chris Sorongon, announced that vaccine booster doses for these priority vaccine categories are available at two Bacolod vaccination centers: SM City Bacolod and Ayala Malls Capitol Central. The inoculation of the vaccine booster shots to vaccine category groups A2 and A3 is administered based on the latest advisory of the Department of Health (DOH). On the other hand, the administration of vaccine booster shots to the medical frontliners is based on a separate DOH memorandum. [3]

City Health Office Officer-in-Charge Dr. Edwin Miraflor said that seven Bacolod hospitals and Ayala malls ground floor would be the designated vaccination area for A1 categories. In contrast, SM City Bacolod cinema area and the Ayala malls metro lobby area are the assigned vaccination areas to administer the vaccine booster doses to the A2 to A3 vaccine category groups. Dr. Miraflor also added that an additional vaccine booster dose would power up the immune system and provide the body with a proper immune response to the coronavirus. [4]

Regardless of the vaccine brand used during the initial vaccination, the Food and Drug Administration issued the emergency use authorization with the recommendation of the DOH to use Moderna, Pfizer, or Sinovac as vaccine booster doses. With this, Dr. Miraflor also added that vaccine booster recipients could choose any brand that they would prefer. [5]

On the other hand, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia encourages individuals who are still unvaccinated to get their vaccine doses through the upcoming National Vaccination Days from November 29 until December 1. Bacolod City’s government aims to reach a quota of 66,000 individuals to be inoculated on the 3-day vaccination activity. The mayor expressed that this is one of the many ways Bacolod City can achieve herd immunity.

Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more travel and COVID-19 updates and guidelines in Bacolod and Negros!