DOH-6 says Iloilo vaccine plan ‘okay’

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

The Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) on Monday said that it did not see major changes to the Iloilo provincial government’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan 2021-2022 (COVAC Plan 21-22).

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. unveiled the COVAC Plan last Feb. 4, 2021, after a series of drafts and consultations starting mid-January.

Defensor also signed Executive Order No. 036 series of 2021, to institutionalize and kickstart the implementation of the plan.

The plan was based on international and national issuances pertaining to vaccination against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),

It was also submitted to the DOH-WV CHD and the Department of Interior and Local Government-Region 6 (DILG-6) for their approval and comment, respectively.

DOH-WV CHD spokesperson Dr. Mary Jane Juanico said they have provided feedback to the provincial government after receiving the COVAC Plan.

Juanico confirmed that the province was the first and only local government unit (LGU) in the region to submit a vaccination plan to them.

“We immediately reviewed the content of the [COVAC Plan] upon receiving it, and it’s almost complete. So far, we have given them verbal feedback, that their vaccination plan was okay, and almost all aspects and the processes we are looking at, but we haven’t given them further correction,” said Juanico in a phone interview.

She said that they have not issued a formal approval yet due to the continued coordination between the regional office and the provincial government.

“We don’t have any ‘approved’ plan, because it is in progress. The implementation of plans is very dynamic. Even if we have timelines foreseen in the second quarter, they are happening soon because of sped-up activities even at the national level. At this time, we do not have an issue with their plan. We are also in constant communication with them to discuss whatever can be added to the plan,” she added.

She also said that the DOH-WV CHD has not given the provincial government any recommendation, but it kept tabs on their moves in relation to the plan’s implementation.

“So far, since [they sent the plan], they are awaiting for [further] implementation of their plan, if there are parts which involve procurement, I suppose these are already ongoing, and at the same time at the LGU levels. So far, the provincial COVID-19 vaccination plan is done, and the provincial government has also shared with us that they are also assisting municipal LGUs in finalizing their own COVID-19 vaccination plans,” she said.

The governor said in a press conference last week that they foresee the implementation of the COVAC Plan in the third quarter of this year.

The provincial government has already secured more than 200,000 vials of the AZD1222 vaccine made by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in January with a budget of P95 million.