SANTA BARBARA, Pangasinan: Health officials in the Ilocos Region announced here on Wednesday, September 28, that they have administered Covid-19 first booster shots to 30.42 percent (1,252,722 individuals) of the region’s eligible population, reaching the target they have set for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’ s first 100 days in office.
“We are now focused on the A2 or senior citizen population for us to reach at least 50 percent of them,” said Dr. Veronica Guadiz-de Guzman, team leader of the Department of Health (DoH) in Pangasinan.
Guadiz-de Guzman was here for the ceremonial launch of the Vaccination Town: PinasLakas Special Vaccination Days in Pangasinan.
As of September 27, some 36.48 percent (193,687) of the senior citizens from the region’s provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte have received their first booster shots while 84.72 percent (447,372) of them have been fully vaccinated.
Guadiz-de Guzman said that the DoH has deployed 13 teams in the densely-populated towns and cities of the four provinces to achieve their target.
“Our strategy is now settings-based. We provide vaccination services in their workplaces, churches, markets and other places,” Guadiz-de Guzman said.
Asked why many people did not want to receive booster shots, Guadiz-de Guzman said it is because of “vaccine confidence.”