DOH presents study on vax coverage in Bicol

By Ana-liza Macatangay

The Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol presented the result of the survey regarding issues or influences that affected vaccination coverage in Bicol during the Provincial Dissemination Forum on Monitoring and Evaluation Survey Result on the National COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment and Vaccination program implementation in the Bicol Region held recently at the Summit Hotel, Naga City.

DOH National Immunization Program Coordinator (NIP) Dr. Desiree Bricenio discussed the data collected from the grounds from random respondents representing various sectors using the population proportionate to size (PPS) method.

The survey, which was conducted from Feb. 1 to 28, aimed to document anecdotal narratives of older people, citing their age and health status as the reason why they refused vaccination, check if the medium for information dissemination through radio was effective and the role of the community leaders in the outcome of the vaccination campaign, among others.

Survey respondents were 470 elderly: 361 (84 percent) were from the municipal level and 68 or 16 percent were from the city level; 47 barangay captains – 39 (80 percent ) from municipal level and 7 (20 percent) from city level; 470 barangay Health Workers (BHWs) – 360 from the municipal level ad 65 from the city level and 47 municipal and city NIP supervisors.

The elderlies were asked about their perception, beliefs, access to information as basis for their decision; Barangay Health Workers’ (BHWs) knowledge, access to information and engagement in the vax campaign were recorded; while the punong barangays were also asked regarding their perception of the vaccination program of the government, accessibility to information as basis for their support to the campaign.

Local NIP supervisors as respondents

On the questionnaire directed at CHO, MHO and NIP coordinators, 100 percent of the respondents from the provinces of Albay, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon had answered correctly in terms of what priority group population was targeted for Covid-19 vaccination, including its coverage; 92.85 percent Camarines Sur respondents got it right while Camarines Norte registered a correctness percentage of 75 percent.

Respondents from the same category were asked to enumerate at least three temporary contraindications for vaccine administration: 100 percent of the respondents from Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon got the right answers while Camarines Norte recorded 75 percent of right responses from its respondents.

All respondents from all provinces were able to enumerate what major steps were to be observed during post-vaccination monitoring.

On the treatment for anaphylactic reaction, 100 percent of the respondents from Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Masbate answered correctly; Albay- 87.50 pwercent and Sorsogon- 80 percent.

All respondents from the provinces got 100 percent accurate answers with regard to the recommended cold chain storage temperature per vaccine (for Pfizer, AZ, Moderna, Sinovac), recommended interval between doses per vaccine and recommended dose per vaccine, except Albay with 87.50 percent correct answers drawn from the respondents.

The survey showed that the target 80 percent eligible population for vaccination in Bicol was not met due to fake news that circulated around the area which says that vaccines were not effective.

Barangay Officials as respondents

The survey results from 46 barangay officials interviewed, showed the following percentage in terms of vaccine effectiveness and vaccine hesitancy, vaccine risks, and adverse effects and reliability of vaccine information disseminated.

On views for vaccine effectiveness: 100 percent of the interviewees agreed that vaccines were important to one’s health; 45 (98 percent) believed that government-provided vaccines were beneficial, one (2 percent) was unsure; 45 (98 percent) agreed that vaccines were effective, one (2 percent) was unsure while 44 (96 percent) said vaccines were effective to self, one (2 percent) disagreed and one (2 percent) was unsure.

Eighteen respondents (39 percent) said new vaccines carried more risks than older ones, 17 (24 percent) disagreed while 11 (24 percent) were unsure about the risk percentage. Regarding the serious side effects of the vaccines, 32 (70 percent) were concerned, 11 (24 percent) were not concerned while three (6 percent) were unsure.

Thirteen out of 45 respondents (29 percent) who reported that vaccines were effective felt that they didn’t need to be vaccinated for diseases that were no longer common; 11/13 (85 percent) of respondents who reported that they did not need to be vaccinated for diseases that were no longer common felt that they were concerned with adverse effects of vaccines, 8/13 (62 percent) of respondents who reported that they did not need to be vaccinated for diseases that were no longer common believed that new vaccines carried more risks than the older one. (PIA5/Camarines Sur)