Pampanga's indigenous peoples get COVID-19 vaccine

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday vaccinated members of the indigenous peoples (IP) in Floridablanca, Pampanga as part of efforts to ramp up the country’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage.

Health department personnel together with members of the Philippine Medical Association and Pampanga Medical Society vaccinated more than 60 IPs and provided primary care services to 10 others for routine immunization and deworming in Sitio Camachile, Floridablanca, Pampanga.

The DOH said it also reached out members of the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas as part of its efforts to expand the vaccine coverage under the PinasLakas campaign.

The Health department earlier said it has to administer first COVID-19 booster doses to around 3.6 million more Filipinos to reach its PinasLakas campaign target of boosting 30% of the eligible population within the first 100 days of the Marcos administration.

Apart from COVID-19 vaccination, the DOH also provided water sanitation, hygiene training, and orientation on dengue prevention among the residents of Sitio Camachile.

The Pampanga Medical Society also distributed food and medicine while the Center for Health and Development Region Central Luzon also provided hygiene kits.

“Maliban sa mga bakuna laban sa COVID-19, hinihikayat din po namin kayong magpabakuna laban sa ibang mga sakit kagaya ng tigdas, bulutong, at iba pa. Libre rin po itong hatid ng ating lokal na pamahalaan. Para maiwasan natin, lalo higit ng ating mga kabataan, ang pagkakasakit, magpabakuna na po tayo,” DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

(Apart from the vaccines against COVID-19, we also encourage you to get vaccinated against other diseases such as measles, smallpox, and others. Our local government also provides them for free. Let's get vaccinated as a prevention against illness.)

Meanwhile, Vergeire and Undersecretary Nestor Santiago also met nursing and medicine students residing in the area.

The students, who are also members of the IP community, are scholars of the University of the Philippines-Manila School of Health Sciences Tarlac Campus.

“We are very glad to know that there are students from our Indigenous Peoples communities who are  pursuing professions in the health sector. Programs like the nursing to medicine of UP aid the DOH in filling the gaps in our human resources for health,” Vergeire said.

The DOH OIC expressed gratitude to the UP Tarlac for this initiative and also the students for choosing to serve in their community.—LDF, GMA News