By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE Department of Public Health is now trying to come up with 2,000 doses of flu vaccine for the mass vaccination on Rota and Tinian.
Public Health said it wants to make sure that supplies for Saipan won’t run out since the number of doses they have used in the previous mass vaccination exceeded the target.
Public Health Deputy Secretary Lyn Tenorio said they have yet to set the schedules for Rota and Tinian as they are still in the process of conducting an inventory of their available flu vaccine.
Rota Health Center Director Julian Calvo said they have been advised to prepare for the mass vaccination which, he added, will also be a “trial exercise” to determine their preparedness during a pandemic.
“We were told the mass vaccination will be coming up next week,” Calvo said, adding that they are now preparing to mobilize health personnel and volunteers, and will identify a potential venue for the mass vaccination.
“We’re thinking of holding it at a public school,” he said.
He said they want to duplicate the successful vaccination operation held at Garapan Elementary School in December.
Rota has a population of 4,000 to 5,000, which includes visitors and alien workers, Calvo said, and does not have “many health problems.”