Tacloban City eyeing home vaccination for senior citizens  — mayor

(FILE) A DOH Nurse deployed at the City Health Office gives Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez a COVID-19 vaccine.PHOTO FROM ROMUALDEZ’ FACEBOOK

MANILA, Philippines — Tacloban City is looking at home COVID-19 vaccination for its senior citizens who are reluctant to go outside their homes, Mayor Alfred Romualdez said Tuesday.

Romualdez said there is a low turnout of senior citizens getting vaccinated as they are anxious of going outside.

“Natatakot sila na ma-expose kaya talagang pinag-aaralan namin dito na kung pwede door-to-door na lang yung pag-bakuna sa mga senior citizen kasi natatakot talaga sila na lumabas,” Romualdez said.

(They are afraid of being exposed which is why we are studying if we could have door-to-door vaccination for senior citizens because they are scared to go out.)

Romualdez admitted that it would also be a challenge for health care workers to visit each senior citizen at their homes.

“Mahirap naman na yung mga doctor i-isa-isahin sila. Kaya ito yung nagiging problema, many of them are afraid to go out. They’re not afraid of the vaccine but they’re afraid to go out in public,” Romualdez said.

(The doctors would have difficulty in reaching them one-by-one. This is why it’s become a problem, many of them are afraid to go out. They’re not afraid of the vaccine but they’re afraid to go out in public.)

According to Romualdez, around 15,300 Tacloban City residents have received doses of COVID-19 with 9,000 fully vaccinated residents recorded as of June 15. He did not say how many of the vaccinees are senior citizens.

The mayor added that 5,000 doses are set to arrive in the city on Tuesday with half to be used for second doses and another half for first doses.

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Records from the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs show that there are more than 18,000 senior citizens or those aged 60 and above in Tacloban City.

Romualdez earlier encouraged senior citizens to be vaccinated by getting a jab himself in March.

Tacloban City has recorded a total of 3,348 COVID-19 cases with 410 active cases, 2,877 recoveries, and 61 deaths as of June 14. Faith Yuen Wei Ragasa, Inquirer trainee

/MUF