By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

More than 10 percent of the targeted 1.4 million residents or 154,539 individuals have so far been fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, in Negros Occidental.

Based on records released yesterday by provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, the province’s administered two doses has now reached 216,699, while the administered single dose has reached 76,736.

Diaz also revealed that the demand for COVID-19 vaccines is now greater than the supply in the province.

“Subong daw naubos na ang aton vaccines (Right now we have already run out of vaccines),” he said.

He also revealed that they only have 50 doses left of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as well as the batch of AstraZeneca vaccine purchased by the provincial government.

Diaz said 10,700 doses of Moderna vaccine and another 10,000 CoronaVac jabs made by Chinese biotech company Sinovac arrived yesterday morning.

Diaz revealed that although they noted a lower turnout for senior citizen vaccinees in the province, most of them right now are already eager to be vaccinated.

The newly-acquired vaccines will immediately be rolled out. The Moderna vaccine will most probably be rolled out only at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City and the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.

The reason as to why the rollout is being limited to only two venues is because of the Moderna vaccine storage requirement of -50 to -15 degrees Celsius.

Diaz also aired his frustration with AstraZeneca over its delivery schedule to the province.

He also revealed that there have been companies offering the province of vaccines.

However they opted not to take any order considering that the delivery schedule would still depend on the suppliers./DGB, WDJ