A free vaccination drive for pregnant women who are on their second or third trimester (three months and above) and breastfeeding mothers will be conducted at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central on September 22 and 30, from 10 am to 1 pm.
The vaccination drive will be spearheaded by the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF), COVID-19 Vaccination Council (CoVaC), and the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS)- Negros Occidental Chapter.
Expectant mothers and breastfeeding mothers interested to get vaccinated on said dates are required to bring their medical certificate from their OB, ultrasound result, and mother’s book from health center.
The EOC-TF urges pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to have themselves vaccinated, as they are more likely to experience severe illness due to COVID-19.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the benefits of the vaccine may be greatest for pregnant women at highest risk from COVID-19, such as frontline health workers, people living in areas of high transmission, and those with health conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes that add to their risk of severe disease.
The city’s vaccination drive prioritizes expectant mothers.
Since August, right after an advisory came out on Department of Health (DOH) and POGS officially recommending vaccination for pregnant women, priority lanes have been provided for their convenience during vaccination, according to the EOC-TF.
“Several pregnant women in Bacolod have been vaccinated. They have been proactively coming to the our vaccination centers, and many have shown interests,” the EOC-TF added.
Bacolod has been proactively offering several flexible methods to get COVID-19 jabs.
These include the VAX-i mobile vaccination drive which mobilizes five buses around the city as well as personnel for onsite visits; barangay and cluster vaccination; mall-based vaccination (Ayala Malls Capitol Central, CityMall Goldenfield, CityMall Mandalagan, Gaisano City, Robinsons Place, SM City); Graveyard Shift Vaccination Drive for graveyard/night-duty BPO workers – the only one of its kind in the country; two drive-thru vaccination sites at Ayala Malls Capitol Central; and 24/7 vaccination drive at Jollibee Gatuslao and Jollibee East.
On September 5, an unvaccinated woman who was pregnant for seven months died of COVID-19, the EOC-TF had reported. The woman’s unborn child also died.
According to EOC-TF’s contact tracing investigation report, the woman started experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, colds, sore throat, and difficulty in breathing as early as August 27 but refused to see a doctor.*
