March 28, 2024

The city government is getting closer to achieving its vaccination target of 95 percent of its 18-year old and above population before the year ends.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said they are hoping to make the mark by the first week of December.

Based on the latest census of the city’s population totaling 366,000, the city’s eligible population for vaccination is 281,000 and 95 percent of it is 266,950.

As of Oct. 10, a total of 207,626 or 73.86 percent received at least one dose of the vaccine while 163,554 or 57.80 percent received full doses.

The mayor said the target will be adjusted once the vaccination rollout for the 17 years old and below age group starts.

He said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. informed the city and other parts of the country may start vaccinating said age group by November starting with the 15 to 17 years old.

For the 18 years old and above, the city still needs to inoculate some 30,000 essential workers or the A4 category and 7,000 indigents or A5, according to Asst. City Health Officer Celia Flor Brillantes.

Brillantes said this is based on the number of those who pre-registered with the city’s vaccination registration site as of Oct. 6.

Apart from these categories, there are also those belonging to the A6 or rest of the population category.

The mayor said verification and cleansing of the city’s vaccination data showed there are around 15,000 immunized individuals who turned out to be not from Baguio.

“But we are not taking it against them since it is also our way of helping other local government units which I am sure did the same thing for our residents in similar situation,” he said.

This number, however, will have to be excluded from the city’s accomplishment report in terms of target eligible population. – Aileen P. Refuerzo