Pampanga capital says vax drive for elderly not ending on May 31

A city health personnel vaccinates an elderly man in Pampanga’s capital city on May 24. Photo from the City of San Fernando Information Office

MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga – The City of San Fernando on Friday (May 28) said the inoculation of elderly residents against COVID-19 will not be ending on Monday (May 31), contrary to a false report circulating online.

“Sa katunayan, magtatagal pa hanggang June 3, 2021 ang survey at pre-registration ng COVID-19 Vaccination Program para sa mga senior citizens (In fact, the pre-registration for the COVID-19 Vaccination Program for senior citizens will continue nito June 2),” according to the City Information Office.

As of May 28, about 9,800 of the estimated 40,000 elderly residents in San Fernando have received their first vaccine doses.

Dr. Carlos Mercado, city health officer, said the first 10,814 doses of Coronavac (vaccines produced by Chinese drugmaker Sinovac) sent by the Department of Health (DOH) have already been administered to health workers and the elderly residents.

He said the 9, 912 first vaccine doses made by British pharmaceutical AstraZeneca arrived last week and were administered to 1,300 elderly on May 28.

“Hindi mabagal ang pag-vaccinate. Ang mabagal ay ang pagdating ng mga vaccine (The vaccination process is not slow. What has been delayed is the arrival of vaccines ,” he said in a telephone interview.

San Fernando also received 5,774 second doses of Sinovac and 1,128 second doses of AstraZeneca from the DOH. Around 3,291 health workers and senior citizens received their second doses.

The city health officer said 5,900 doses of Sinovac from DOH had just arrived.

“Pero ang uunahin muna naming gamitin ay yung natitirang AstraZeneca kasi May 30 ang expiration date nila (But we will consume the remaining AstraZeneca vaccines which have May 30 expiration dates),” he added.

Mercado said some of the elderly who lined up for jabs were not San Fernando residents, casting doubt on the projected target of 44,000 elderly vaccine beneficiaries.

City information officer Abigail David said 2,033 health workers at the frontlines have received their first doses while 1,686 have received their second doses since the vaccination rollout started on March 25.

The Jose B. Lingad Regional Memorial Hospital, the Mt. Carmel Medical Center, the Green City Medical Center, and the Our Lady of Fatima University, served as vaccination centers.

JUN A. MALIG INQ

/MUF