Draft QC measure seeks free anti-pneumonia shots for seniors

A draft ordinance in Quezon City seeks to automatically entitle residents to free vaccination against certain ailments once they become senior citizens.

The proposed measure, authored by Councilors Jessica Castelo Daza, Eufemio Lagumbay and Roger Juan, calls for free pneumococcal shots for the elderly. The pneumococcal vaccine is mainly for immunization against bacteria that cause severe pneumonia, ear and sinus infections, meningitis or bloodstream infection.

The councilors noted that senior citizens, or those aged 60 years old and above, are most vulnerable to pneumococcal infections that can lead to serious conditions, such as inflammation of the lungs or brain.

Data from the Department of Health cites pneumonia among the five leading causes of death among Filipinos, along with hypertension, cancer, chronic obstruction and diabetes.

Under the draft city ordinance, the pneumococcal vaccine is to be provided by the Quezon City health department to elderly residents who have registered with the local Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca).

Based on Osca data, there are currently 332,358 elderly residents in Quezon City who are registered with the office, accounting for about 10 percent of the total city population of 3.1 million people. Jeannette I. Andrade