Manila has started inoculating its senior citizens against COVID-19 as it seeks to finish inoculating its healthcare workers.
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said the vaccines for senior citizens may be administered simultaneously with those for healthcare frontliners, who are given priority in the government’s vaccination protocols.
Among the first senior citizens to receive the vaccines were residents of Barangay 163, with the vaccines being administered by Vice Mayor Maria Sheilah Lacuna-Pangan.
“That’s simultaneous. While we are finishing the healthcare workers, we can start giving the AstraZeneca to our senior citizens and the Sinovac to those with comorbidities,” said Lacuna-Pangan on “24 Oras Weekend.”
Cabotaje likewise called on healthcare frontliners to make sure they were on the master list to be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible.
“We are calling for the last mile registration because some of the healthcare workers do not know or forgot how they can be included in the master list,” Cabotaje said.
More than 1,300 senior citizens have been targeted against COVID-19 during Sunday’s immunization of the elderly in this city.
According to Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, as of 5:50 p.m. of Sunday 1,309 senior citizens were vaccinated with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca.
Manila has been given the clearance to start the inoculation of senior citizens together with the health care workers of the city.
In order that the senior citizens will not be inconvenience, health workers from the Manila Health Department went to every barangay in the city to give the vaccination.
According to the Manila Public Information Office, 4,979 senior citizens are pre-registered for the vaccination program of the city government.
Some 12 covered courts in Manila were set up as vaccination sites in the different districts of the city.
Those pre-registered are advised to bring their waiver form or QR code verification.
Vaccination sites are accepting walk in senior citizens. However, the city said processing will take more time for this, so they are advised to instead pre-register before going to the sites.
The local government says even if the NCR is back to the enhanced community quarantine starting Monday, senior citizens will be allowed to go out of their houses for vaccination.