(FILE) Elder residents receive the jab of Astrazeneca vaccine at Barangay 672 Zone 73 in Paco, Manila on March 28, 2021 during the start of vaccination for senior citizens of the local government.
RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City lawmaker is urging the national and local government units (LGUs) to include persons with disabilities (PWDs) with mobility impairments in its home vaccination program against COVID-19.
Under House Resolution No. 1727, Quezon City 5th District Rep. Alfred Vargas, who chairs the House committee on social services, said the current house-to-house vaccination drives of some LGUs only cover bedridden residents and those with comorbidities.
However, Vargas said PWDs with mobility impairments should also be included in the program since they are “among those deprived of access to such public services that require them to leave their homes.”
“In a time when persons with disabilities face great marginalization economically and socially due to the pandemic, it is high time we uplift their spirits and encourage vaccination amongst high-risk communities,” Vargas said in the resolution.
“It is the duty of the government to ensure with the urgency that our services for the people are made accessible especially for the marginalized and underprivileged,” he added.
The resolution identifies PWDs with mobility impairment as those “who are unable to use one or more of his/her extremities, or lack the motor skills to walk, grasp, or lift objects.”
It also includes those who are bedridden and who have suffered from a stroke.
In a separate statement, Vargas praised LGUs that are conducting house-to-house vaccination drives for their residents who cannot go to the inoculation sites.
“Isa po sa mga sektor na lubhang naapektuhan ng pandemya ay ang PWDs, lalo na ang mga may mobility impairments. Mungkahi kong isama rin sila sa house-to-house vaccination,” Vargas said.
(One of the sectors most affected by the pandemic are PWDs, especially those with mobility impairments. They should be included in the house-to-house vaccinations.)