BARMM vaccination rollout serves 481K individuals
HEALTH • 05:30 AM Thu Oct 21, 2021
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
BARMM Health Minister Dr. Bashary Latiph speaking during news conference
COTABATO CITY – The Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-BARMM) reported Wednesday that almost half a million or 481,159 individuals have been vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) across the region.
“We have administered the first dose to 198,052 individuals and those who received their second dose (fully vaccinated) numbered 283,107,” Dr. Ashary Latiph, BARMM health minister, told a news conference here Wednesday morning.
Latiph also announced that all the health front-liners in BARMM that include doctors, nurses, medical technologists, midwives, and employees of health stations, have been fully vaccinated.
While the performance of MOH-BARMM as far as vaccination rollout is concerned is showing a significant impression, Latiph said health providers remain to have “vaccination issues” with senior citizens.
“We are trying to address hesitancy issue among senior citizens who are 65 years old and above,” Latiph said.
He further urged the public to help them bring back normalcy by convincing their elderly relatives to get vaccinated, adding that “when normalcy is restored, the economy is expected to bounce back.”
Latiph said the target number of senior citizens for vaccination is 186,087. Of this number, however, only 24,918 have received the first dose, while 32,306 have completed their second dose for a total of 57,224.
BARMM comprises the cities of Cotabato, Marawi, Lamitan; the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi; and the and the 63 villages in six towns of North Cotabato province.
The region, which has so far received 709, 841 vaccine doses from different brands provided by the Department of Health, currently has 63 vaccination hubs across the region.
As of Tuesday, BARMM recorded a total of 14,337 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 12,938 recoveries and 827 active cases.
“We remained to have the smallest number of Covid-19 cases among all the regions in the country,” Latiph said. (PNA)