As Covid-19 vaccines are expected to be delivered in the country anytime soon, local health offices have rolled out their vaccination plans.
Based on the national guidelines issued by the Department of Health, the vaccination plan will come in three phases: pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation.
The pre-implementation involve logistics planning, masterlisting and mapping of vaccines based on sector or groups, electronic registration of vaccinees, training of vaccination teams, identification and grouping of vaccination teams, simulation and dry run at vaccination sites.
The implementation phase is when vaccination will take place.
DOH focal person on the Covid-19 vaccination plan, Dr. Anachris Kilakil, said before going to the vaccination site, a vaccinee should have been issued a QR code which will be presented at the registration site.
The vaccination team, on the other hand, should have thawed the vials four to five hours before vaccination.
At the registration area, a barangay health worker will validate the information submitted by the vaccinee during the masterlisting process. Validation will include interview of the vaccinee if he/she has allergies, medications being taken, pregnant, co-morbidities, among others.
After validation, a vaccinee will proceed to the health education station where they will be made to watch an audio-video presentation about the vaccine, why they will be vaccinated, the benefits of vaccination, side effects of the vaccine, immediate reaction of the body after vaccination. After the AVP and counseling, there will be a forum where the vaccination team will answer issues vaccinees may raise about the vaccine or the procedure they are about to have.
Vaccinees will be made to sign an informed consent – a document affirming that they have understood and are willing to be vaccinated.
After signing of the consent document, a vaccinee will proceed to the vaccination area.
After vaccination, vaccinee will stay for 30 minutes at the observation area where he or she will be monitored if there will be immediate adverse effects from the vaccine.
Kilakil said an ambulance, a nurse, and a paramedic or doctor will be on standby to respond in case a vaccinee show adverse effect.
In the simulation conducted in the National Capital Region, the process – from registration to observation, took around 25 to 30 minutes.
Post-implementation involve monitoring of the vaccinees for effects days or weeks after they were vaccinated.
For Baguio, City Health Officer Rowena Galpo said initial plan will be to deploy three teams at every vaccination site.
Vaccinees will be grouped into 10 each. After registration, counseling, and signing of informed consent, the vaccination team will then vaccinate the vaccinees. To conserve the limited amount of vaccines, the allowed wastage for every 10 vials is only one.
The vaccination team is expected to finish the vaccination process in 10 to 15 minutes.
The CHSO is expecting to receive 10,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines but this has not been confirmed by the DOH.
Assuming that Baguio will receive said number of doses, Galpo said the vaccines have to be used in seven to 10 days.
Priority sectors that will be vaccinated are health workers who are in direct contact with Covid-19 patients, allied health workers, senior citizens, those with co-morbidities, and indigents. – Rimaliza A. Opiñaa
April 27, 2024
