4.2K healthcare workers in BARMM to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19

COTABATO CITY — All of Bangsamoro region’s more than 4,000 frontline healthcare workers will receive complete doses of vaccines against Covid-19, a regional health official said.  

Health Minister Dr. Amirel Usman said 4,200 healthcare workers across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are the first to start receiving the two doses of vaccine jabs this month.

The second dose, Usman added, will be inoculated after four weeks to fully reinforce the protection in the first vaccine shot.  
18,000 vaccines   

In the past two weeks, more than 18,000 doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines have arrived at Awang Airport in Datu Odin Sinsuat for Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur medical workers, and in Zamboanga International Airport in Zamboanga City for Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi medical workers. 

These doses are for 1,400 medical workers in Maguindanao, 972 in Lanao del Sur, 234 in Basilan, 1,032 for Sulu, and 562 in Tawi-Tawi. Last week, medical workers from Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur started receiving their first vaccination jab.

On Thursday, March 11, 6000 vaccines arrived in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi and in Jolo, Sulu.  

Tawi-Tawi received 1,212 doses of Sinovac and 1,010 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, while Sulu received 2,360 doses of Sinovac and 2,080 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines. The allocation was based on the master list submitted by each province.  

The roll-out for Sulu and Tawi-Tawi will commence next week.  Basilan will receive its vaccines on Monday, March 15, and will start its roll out on the same day.  

Other priority groups 

The BARMM has drafted its Deployment and Vaccination Plan — a blueprint that will guide the regional government in the delivery, storage, distribution and deployment of vaccines.  

Deputy Health Minister Dr. Zul Qarneyn Abas said priority groups will receive doses of vaccines after healthcare workers will be immunized.

In the plan, Abas said there are three (3) priority eligible groups for the vaccine’s distribution and deployment. 

Group A include all frontline health workers from public and private health facilities, and frontline workers from the ministries of social services, education, and local government.

Also included in the first group are frontline workers from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and Bureau of Corrections, as well as indigent senior citizens, remaining senior citizens, remaining indigent population, and uniformed personnel from the police, army, coast guard, and fire service.

Meanwhile, group B consists of teachers, social workers, other BARMM government workers, other essential workers outside health, education, social welfare sectors (e.g. agriculture, food, industry, transportation, tourism, manufacturing, construction, among others), socio-demographic groups at significantly higher risk (PWDs, Bangsamoro living in high-density areas), overseas Filipino workers, and other remaining workforce.

All remaining Bangsamoro population not included above shall be in the last group.

‘Halal’ vaccine  

The Bangsamoro Darul Ifta, being the Bangsamoro Government’s Islamic advisory body, released the religious guideline number 25 in early March about Covid-19 vaccine. 

The guideline, signed by Bangsamoro Mufti Abuhuraira Udasan, reads “The Darul Ifta of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) sees that the vaccine for healing and preventive measure, in general, is lawful (Halal)…”  

Covid-19 update

As of Thursday, March 11, the region has recorded a total of 4,132 Covid-19 cases — with 3,884 recoveries, 156 deaths, and 92 active cases.  

The province of Lanao del Sur and Marawi City has recorded the highest number of cases among the region’s areas with 1,342, followed by Cotabato City with 1,196. Tawi-Tawi province, on the other hand, has the least cases with 140. (Bangsamoro Information Office)