Dabawenyos who have already received their anti-COVID-19 vaccine booster shots have added protection against the severity of new variants, according to the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force.
Davao City COVID-19 Task Force Spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said that like other vaccine-preventable diseases that have booster doses, the COVID-19 vaccine also needs one.
“Para added protection, especially when we encounter new variants kasi the virus will continue to evolve. Kung naa man new variants, dili na ta mahasi ba or makuratan because we’re fully vaccinated and boostered pa gyud (For added protection, especially when we encounter new variants because the virus will continue to evolve. If there are new variants, we won’t be worried or shocked because we’re fully vaccinated and boostered),” she said during the COVID-19 Alert program of the 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) aired on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
Of Davao City’s 1,302,405 fully vaccinated Dabawenyos, only 240,672 or 18.48 percent got their booster doses as of April 12, 2022.
Dr. Schlosser said, “Gamay ra gyud sya, that’s the reason why before nagbuhat man ta atong mobile vaccination sa mga councilors, now we’re adding more mobile vaccinations in partnership with the USAID and Unicef para ma increase tong sa mga barangays (The booster turnout is low that’s why we had mobile vaccinations of city councilors before, now we’re adding mobile vaccinations in partnership with the USAID
and Unicef to increase the turnout in the barangays).”
The Vaccination Cluster also uses family profiling to determine who has not yet received primary and booster doses in the barangays.
After conducting mobile vaccinations with national government offices and agencies, the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force also started its coordination meetings with different private businesses and establishments, particularly the business process outsourcing (BPO) companies. Talks with malls, restaurants, and banks will follow.
The city health official also said, “Kung dili madakpan sa ilang mga balay, madakpan nato sa ilang trabaho. At least we’re hititng two birds with one stone. Hopefully, this will work… atong gipaspasan, gina-strengthen activity nato that’s the reason we’re going down to their respective offices and establishments kung asa sila located para gyud mapaduol sa ilaha. Wala na gyud rason na mudili sila or wala sila’y time or vacant na days (If the mobile vaccination can’t reach them at home, we can catch them at their workplaces. At least we’re hitting two birds with one stone. Hopefully, this will work… we’re hastening and strengthening our activities, that’s why we’re going down to their respective offices and establishments wherever they are, to bring the vaccination to them. They will no longer have any excuse to say they have no time for it).”
She, however, said no new COVID-19 variants were detected in Davao City to date except for the usual Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants.CIO