The World Health Organization (WHO) commended the blended scheme vaccination of the Angeles City Government under the leadership of Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. as a great strategy to fast track the vaccines alongside bringing it closer to the constituents.
WHO Representative and Surveillance Officer Dr. Yohannes D. Getahun, in a visit to Angeles City, said he has never seen a strategy like that of Angeles City.
“This is a very good strategy to bring the vaccines closer to the community,” Dr. Getahun said during his recent visit at the Ronda Bakuna sa Barangay of the city in Pulung Cacutud last October 27, 2021.
Dr. Getahun was assisted by City Health Officer Dr. Verona Guevarra, City Social Welfare and Development Officer Edna Duaso, and Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Rodolfo Simeon.
“One of the major challenges is to bring vaccines to the community, but here in Angeles City there is a mobile vaccination team, and the people have easy access to the vaccine,” Dr. Getahun shared.
The Ronda Bakuna sa Barangay is the delivery of vaccination service right at the doorsteps of Angeleño families using three mobile bus clinics, while the Sundo Bakuna sa Barangay program picks up Angeleños from barangays and takes them to the city’s two mega vaccination sites with free services being provided — six Philippine Rabbit buses and 10 jeepneys.
According to Dr. Getahun, the house-to-house vaccination program of Angeles City should serve as a model to the other Local Government Units.
“I have never seen anything like this. This should serve as a model to the other LGUs,” Dr. Getahun furthered. “Based on my observation, the strategy is very well-executed.”
In fact, Dr. Getahun visited the roll-out vaccination in Magalang where Mayor Lazatin lent the mobile bus clinic to the town.
Dr. Getahun also encouraged people to get vaccinated to lower the risk and transmission of the virus, and finally eradicate it.
Lazatin’s Chief Adviser IC Calaguas, also the chief implementer of the city government’s vaccination program, said Angeles City will start to inoculate minors, aged 12 to 17 yeard old, on November 5, 2021.
To date, 255,128 Angeleños received their first dose of vaccines while 177,526 are fully vaccinated.
