Seniors on dialysis treatment at Manila City hospital get COVID-19 shot

This undated photo shows a man being vaccinated against COVID-19 at Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center in Manila City. Photo from the Office of Mayor Isko Moreno

MANILA, Philippines — Around 150 senior citizens on dialysis treatment in a Manila City hospital have been prioritized for vaccination against COVID-19 on Monday, the local government said.

Their inoculation was held at the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center (GABMMC), where they are also undergoing dialysis treatments. Manila City has commenced vaccination of the elderly as well as senior citizens with comorbidities or pre-existing health conditions – a risk factor for severe COVID-19 infections.

“Around 150 elderly dialysis patients at the [GABMMC] are being prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination today, Monday, March 29. This is part of the City of Manila’s ongoing mass vaccination of senior citizens using the AstraZeneca vaccine,” the city government said in a statement.

“The seniors with comorbidities are high on the priority list, as they are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections than their counterparts who have few or no health issues,” it added.

Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said they wanted to make the process more convenient for seniors, thus, the vaccination for the elderly dialysis patients of GABMMC’s Flora V. Valisno De Siojo Dialysis Center was done at the hospital.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) said senior citizens are under the A2 priority group for inoculation against COVID-19, trailing health workers (A1) who are at the forefront of the fight against the new coronavirus pandemic. Those in the A3 priority group, on the other hand, are persons with comorbidities.

According to the Manila City government, “One of the first to line up for the AstraZeneca vaccines was 60-year-old dialysis patient ‘Tatay Edgar’. Asked if he felt any side effects from getting vaccinated, he replied, ‘OK naman po’.”

“He then explained that he sought to be vaccinated because he wanted to protect himself from COVID-19,” it added.

“Gusto kong umiwas sa COVID na ito, para naman humaba-haba pa ang buhay ko,” the local government quoted Tatay Edgar as saying.

Tatay Edgar went on to thank Moreno for making sure vaccines are available to senior citizens like him, the Manila City government said. “Nagpapasalamat kami kay Yorme dahil nabigyan kami ng pagkakataon [para mabakunahan].”

The local government then encouraged other senior citizens living in the nation’s capital city to visit 12 vaccination sites located across six districts:

• Brgy. 32 and Brgy. 128 in District I
• Brgy. 154 and Brgy. 210 in District II
• Brgy. 345 and Brgy. 377 in District III
• Brgy. 419 and Brgy. 576 in District IV
• Brgy. 704 and Brgy. 803 in District V
• Brgy. 604 and Brgy. 627 in District VI

As of March 29, the Philippines again reached a new record-high 10,016 new COVID-19 infections boosting nationwide caseload to over 730,000 and active cases to more than 115,000.

Following aggressive surges recently, the national government placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal under an enhanced community quarantine from March 29 to April 4.

KGA