Pinasinayaan na ng Department of Health (DOH) - Ilocos Region nitong Miyerkules ang kauna-unahang Walk-In Cold Room storage para sa mga bakuna sa Ilocos Region.
Ayon kay Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco, ang naturang pasilidad ay matatagpuan sa Pangasinan Provincial Hospital sa Barangay Bolingit, San Carlos, Pangasinan.
Ito aniya ay isang 30-cubic meter walk-in cold room, na may kapasidad na mag-store ng 4,920 litro ng bakuna o nasa 190,000 vials, sa temperatura na nasa pagitan ng 2 hanggang 8°C.
Nabatid na ito ay donasyon ng UNICEF sa pamamagitan ng COVAX support para sa ispesipikong pangangailangan ng COVID-19 vaccines, na kailangang iimbak sa mas mababang temperatura.
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“This will ensure operationalization and implementation of proper vaccine cold chain management to ensure vaccine potency from storage facility to vaccination sites. It will also increase our vaccine capacity, especially in the delivery of vaccination activities in the province of Pangasinan as we make routine immunization services more accessible to all children and special population,” ani Sydiongco.
Aniya, magkakaloob ang regional office ng technical assistance sa monitoring at epektibong paggamit ng naturang donated equipment.
“We are grateful for the support of UNICEF and COVAX as continue to strengthen our vaccine storage capacity and accelerate the on-going COVID-19 vax drive,” ayon pa kay Sydiongco.
Sa panig naman ni UNICEF Immunization Specialist Carla A. Orozco, sinabi nito na nagkakaloiob sila ng tulong upang matiyak ang kalidad ng mga bakuna at maidedeliber sa takdang oras.
Hindi lamang naman aniya para sa COVID-19 vaccines maaaring gamitin ang walk-in cold room, kundi para sa mga bakuna para sa ibang karamdaman.
“This will be used not only for Covid-19 vaccines but for also vials for routine immunization such as such as polio, measles and tuberculosis which are life-threatening diseases. In 2021, we in the top 5 contributor to the 18 million zero-dose children globally and the top 7 contributor with the most children unprotected for measles,” aniya pa.
“With the nine cold rooms strategically installed in various regions, immunization coverage will greatly improve and vaccine supply will be ensured,” aniya pa.
Base sa datos ng DOH-Ilocos Region, sa kasalukuyan, ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan ay nakapagbakuna na ng may 2.2 milyong residente nito laban sa COVID-19.
