Contact tracers whose jobs were focused on Covid-19 infections in high-risk areas in Davao City are now working as family profilers to help boost the city government’s vaccination drive.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said the city government of Davao is utilizing the 700 contact tracers, together with the City Health Office (CHO), barangay captains, and Barangay. Health and Emergency Response Team (BHERT), and other barangay functionaries target barangays and families (house-to-house) to ensure higher vaccination coverage.
Schlosser added that these contact tracers already underwent training on profiling.
“We are doing two things in one activity: mahibal-an ang mga bata na wala pa nabakunahan with routine vaccines like MMR and at the same time mahibal-an nato ang pamilya na wala pa na kompleto ang bakuna sa Covid-19,” she said.
The activity has commenced in the barangays in Toril and Bunawan districts.
“Gi-include na nato sa pag-assess sa bawat pamilya kung kinsa ang nabakunahan sa Covid-19 so that we will also know kung unsa ang status per barangay. Kasi sometimes katong nahatag na data sa vaccination dili ta segurado or dili nato maisa per barangay and ma-measure nato kung kinsa gyud ang daghan pa ug balikan or i-house-to-house na mga barangay,” Schlosser said.
Schlosser also said this is also part of the National Immunization Program, which aims to ensure that infants/children and mothers have access to routinely recommended infant/childhood vaccines. This program primarily aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality among children against the most common vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) which includes tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and measles. To date, the Expanded Program on Immunization provides safe and effective vaccines against VPDs for newborns, infants, older children, pregnant, and senior citizens.
“We would like to thank USAID and UNICEF as partners sa atoang vaccination cluster that has been doing the house-to-house vaccination labi na sa atong mga 5 to 11 years old and the vulnerable sector,” she said.
