Vaccination for Seniors still pushed

The Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERTs), with barangay officials, shall identify, visit and convince unvaccinated senior citizens (SC) to have their Covid-19 vaccine.

This, as Mayor Benjamin Magalong in a media forum dispelled talks that the city’s elderly are “hunted down” or “targeted” for covid jabs.

“We are gentle with our elderly, it is best to persuade and not coerce them to do things they are not willing to do. We have to assure them that vaccination is the best way against the Covid-19 virus,” the mayor said.

He pointed out that vaccination and minimum public health standards (MPHS), such as the use of (double) masks, social distancing and frequent handwashing is urged for maximum protection.    

Nationwide, senior citizens were among those prioritized for vaccination when the roll-out started in March 2021. Of the more than 32,000 SCs registered in Baguio City; 31,319 have been fully vaccinated with various brands, and with some having booster shots as soon as possible.

According to the mayor, the BHERTs shall assist senior citizens wanting to have their first and second doses, and even with the booster shots two, or three to six months later. The Health Services Office (HSO) mobile vaccine (Movacc) team may administer vaccines in the elderly’s homes once they do not have access or are incapable of travel to any of the mega or community vaccine sites.

No vaccines are perfect or 100% capable of warding off the disease, but studies from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other authorized health groups show that vaccinated individuals have less chances of getting the virus.  In breakthrough cases where fully vaccinated and boosted individuals get infected, the symptoms are less severe, less hospitalization rate and lower chances of dying, Mayor Magalong emphasized. – Julie G. Fianza