CEBU CITY – With low vaccination turnout for the elderlies, the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC) on Monday urged local government units (LGUs) to shift to a house to house master listing of the A2 priority sector instead of only relying on online registration.
Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas chief pathologist, reported that of the 549,444 senior citizens eligible for inoculation under the A2 priority group, only 21 percent or 115,648 have received their first dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine.
Of the number, 25 percent or 29,150 have been administered with the second dose as of June 22 data, she said.
“Senior citizens are not techie, especially those who are living in the far-flung areas. It is incumbent upon the LGUs, upon our local officials to make sure to make a house to house registration and invite seniors. I think that is a very good way of making sure that we can get them to be master listed and encourage them to be vaccinated,” Loreche said during her first daily briefing after she was designated as VVOC spokesperson last week.
Loreche also urged the younger people to help the government in encouraging the elderlies to get their Covid-19 jabs by explaining to them that the vaccines available in Region 7 are safe and effective in fighting coronavirus.
She, however, admitted that the low supply of the vaccines has contributed to the slower inoculation effort for the elderlies.
The DOH-7 official expressed hope that the remaining 433,796 unvaccinated elderlies in Region 7 would be traced by the LGUs and have them inoculated once the vaccine supply arrives.
Meanwhile, Loreche reminded LGUs to avoid gathering elderlies in one setting.
“They have not received their vaccines and yet they swarm together without physical distancing,” she noted. “Our senior citizens are the vulnerable sector of the society. Let’s make sure that we protect them
Source: Philippines News Agency
