Public health front line moved to inoculate over 100,000 people in three days at the start of the nationwide campaign to make the unvaccinated seek COVID-19 jabs in the city.

City health officer Dr. Rochelle Oco said on Monday, November 29, the local government fielded 1,229 health care workers to every purok in the city’s 26 barangays.

City hall also involved 609 purok leaders to identify and encourage residents who still have not received the jabs. 

“We only need to vaccinate at least 55 in every purok, and we can hit our target,” she said.

Aside from that, there are 32 established vaccination centers in the city, including those in malls.

Also, residents can get inoculated at a popular fast-food chain in Barangay Lagao and at the Mindanao State University gymnasium in Barangay Fatima.

The objective is to inoculate 105,267 residents during the National Vaccination Days until December 1.

Proclamation 1253 designated November 29 to December 1, as “Bayanihan, Bakunahan National Covid-19 Vaccination Days” in the hope of hastening the inoculation of citizens.

With this, authorities have allowed walk-in and onsite registrations of residents willing to be vaccinated.

Rap-rap, a beggar in his 30s, was hesitant to get vaccinated.

“Wala ko mga dokumento nga ginapangayo nila (I don’t have documents which they require),” he told Rappler.

For those seeking to get jabs, valid identification cards and medical certificates are required.

Officials said at least 459,732 residents still need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the year to achieve herd immunity status in General Santos.

Data from the Department of Health showed only 172,542 residents or 37.5% of the target population were fully vaccinated in General Santos as of  November 26. – Rappler.com

Rommel Rebollido is a Mindanao journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship