The Bacolod City mega vaccination centers at SMX and Ayala Malls Capitol Central are setting up new areas in the malls for the vaccination of 12 to 17 years old Bacolodnons on Nov. 3.
Dr. Chris Sorongon of the Bacolod Emergency Operations Center said that about 4,894 children have registered online for vaccination, with the consent of their parents or guardians.
The children will have a separate vaccination area from the adults, who will have their first or second dose, he added.
Sorongon said that since the start of October, the EOC has coordinated with barangay officials for the registration of minors who are not in school.
For those enrolled, the EOC linked up with the Department of Education Bacolod Schools Division Office for the master listing of the students, with the consent of their parents or guardians.
On Oct. 29, a total of 343 children with comorbidities were inoculated in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental at the kick-off of the Pediatric A3 vaccination, or children with comorbidities.
The Bacolod City Immunization Team inoculated 266 while the province of Negros Occidental recorded 77 Pediatric A3 vaccinees, who received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, head of the Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office, said only 77 of the targeted 300 children were able to come to the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City to get their shots against the coronavirus, due to the late notice to the municipal and city health offices.
He said that there is a plan to open two more vaccination centers for children with comorbidities, at the Cadiz and Kabankalan district hospitals, starting this week.
Meanwhile, Sorongon said the vaccination of the remaining 674 of the 882 children under Pediatric A3, who preregistered in Bacolod City, will be held on Nov. 3 and 4 at the School of Nursing of Riverside College.
The city also reported that Bacolod logged the highest number of teenagers inoculated nationwide in a single venue during the initial Pediatric A3 vaccination rollout.
The other top performers were the Manuel A. Roxas District Hospital (246), Gov. Faustino N. Dy District Hospital (226), and City of Ilagan Medical Center (216), all in Isabela in Region 2.
The Surigao City-based Caraga Regional Hospital (206), Baguio City General Hospital and Medical Center in the Cordillera Administrative Region (168), and the Batanes General Hospital (156) and the Echague District Hospital (155), both in Region 2, completed the Top 8 list.
St. Paul Hospital Inc. in Iloilo City and the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, meanwhile, vaccinated 130 and 77 teenagers, respectively, a press release from the city said Oct. 31.
The national government pilot-tested the Pediatric A3 program in Metro Manila two weeks ago, and launched the nationwide drive Oct. 29. — MML
