HOME SERVICE Holding each other’s hands, elderly couple Felicisimo and Natividad Pineda, both 91, receive their second dose of CoronaVac, the COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Chinese company Sinovac BioTech, in their house in Sta. Mesa, Manila. The Manila Health Department is conducting home service vaccination to seniors and bedridden residents who cannot go to designated sites. INQUIRER file photo / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — About 63% of the elderly in Metro Manila have already completed their two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, while 68% have received at least one dose, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
DOH Director Beverly Ho said the government aims to still increase the vaccination on senior citizens especially with the presence of the feared COVID-19 Delta variant in the country and in Metro Manila.
“Last few months tumaas na siya pero gusto natin lalo na with Delta variant na dumadating mas maging aktibo pa tayo sa pagbabakuna sa senior citizen,” she said in a televised public briefing.
(This is higher than the last few months but we want to be more active in vaccinating senior citizens especially with the Delta variant.)
Nationwide, 32% of senior citizens have so far completed their two doses while 32% are partially vaccinated, Ho said.
She reminded that senior citizens account for about 60% of COVID-related deaths in the country. As such, it is important that they get vaccinated as soon as possible.
For his part, National Commission of Senior Citizens Chairperson Franklin Quijano assured that the elderly are willing to get vaccinated even as the supply of vaccines in their areas poses a challenge.
“We would like to assure you na marami talagang senior citizen na gustong magpabakuna. Ang problema nga lang, hindi pa dumarating iyong supply dahil nga may mga priority areas,” he said.
(We would like to assure you that many senior citizens want to get vaccinated. However, there is still no supply of vaccines since there are priority areas.)
So far, the Philippines has a total of 9.8 million fully vaccinated individuals.