SULU — The three-day Covid-19 Special Vaccination Days (SVD) initiative of the Ministry of Health (MOH) in this province on May 11-13 has logged a total of 15,328 inoculated individuals.
The vaccination turnout is 60.11% of the initial 25,500 target individuals of Sulu’s Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), with 3,341 individuals vaccinated on the first day, 4,988 on day 2, and 7,099 on day 3.
During the courtesy meeting of MOH and IPHO-Sulu team with Governor Abdusakur Tan last Wednesday, May 11, the governor mentioned the necessity of being vaccinated as a prime shield from contracting Covid-19 and one of the required permit to travel in some areas.
“Our vaccination card is a proof that we are protected from the Covid-19 virus. We need that card because it serves as our pass in roaming around here in our hometown and also serves as our passport when we are going to travel around Philippines and even going abroad,” Gov. Tan stressed.
The provincial government enacted an executive order strictly imposing the “No Vaccine Card, No Entry Policy” as a mechanism to combat the spread of Covid-19 in the province.
“Based on our monitoring assessment, the 3-day SVD in Sulu was smoothly and successfully implemented as we observed how the community and untiring health frontliners responded, plus the collective support of the local executives and stakeholders in order to meet the target,” said Director Ahmad Fawadz Israel, who led the MOH team in monitoring the SVD.
MOH Information Officer Saida Diocolano-Ali reiterated that time is still enough to meet the herd immunity by June 30.
“As the SVD ended, we should continue our conduct of regular vaccination in our respective hubs so that we could still meet the herd immunity across the region,” Ali said.
Meanwhile, Dra. Nehama Nemertina Singki of IPHO Sulu said, “No words of thanks could best describe our deepest appreciation for the continuous support and dedication of our frontliners for their commitment in fighting the pandemic since the beginning of Covid-19. In this vaccination, we even forget our family bonding in lieu of saving our people.”
A similar SVD activity will also be conducted in the BARMM mainland provinces next week, May 16-20.(Kasan M. Usop, Jr./BIO)
