Seven of the 61 barangays here have been prioritized for an intensified coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) house-to-house vaccination campaign.

In a statement on Thursday, the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) said the roll-out started on Wednesday in coordination with the village chiefs and their respective Barangay Health and Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs).

The seven priority barangays include Mansilingan, Taculing, Tangub, Estefania, Villamonte, Mandalagan, and Alijis, which have recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the city.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the goal is to make the vaccination program more accessible to everyone for Bacolod to ensure population protection against Covid-19.

In the house-to-house vaccination, the city government is deploying the VAX-i mobile buses to reach not those who are bedridden, but also other qualified but still unvaccinated residents.

“An intensified house-to-house vaccination will pave the way towards herd immunity,” EOC-TF executive director Em Ang said.

On November 5, the city government will also roll out the vaccination of minors, particularly those in the pediatric A3 priority group, or persons aged 12 to 17 years old who have comorbidities.

It also schedules daily vaccination roll-outs in shopping malls, village-covered courts, school gymnasiums, bus terminals, and quick-service restaurants.

Other initiatives include the onsite and graveyard/night-shift vaccination for workers of business process outsourcing firms and drive-through vaccination.

As of October 16, some 213,828 residents here have availed of the Covid-19 vaccines, including the 157,825 individuals considered as fully vaccinated after having received their second dose or a single-dose vaccine. (PNA)