CEBU CITY, Philippines—Local health officials here will be closely monitoring ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drives intended for senior citizens.
An official from the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) believes that Cebu’s prolonged Alert Level 2 status may be due to the failure to vaccinate 80 percent of its senior citizens.
In a recent press briefer, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of DOH-7, said among the conditions for areas to qualify under Alert Level 1 is to inoculate 80 percent of their elderlies.
“Ano yung nakasabi sa classification? 80 percent of its priority group A2 or the senior citizens (must be vaccinated),” said Loreche.
Based on the latest report from the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC), Central Visayas has only vaccinated 51.78 percent of its seniors as of February 26, 2022.
The region is targeting to inoculate a total of 627,108 senior citizens.
For Cebu City, immunization coverage was at 76.04 percent; 50.62 percent for Lapu-Lapu City, and 68.37 percent for Mandaue City.
“Kung sa grado pa po ito, bumagsak po tayo dahil (hindi tayo umabot sa target) sa A2,” said Loreche.
“Nakuha na natin ang fully vaccinated na 70 percent of the population. Low risk na rin tayo. And kuha natin ang bed utilization rate which is less than 50 percent – at 17 to 20 percent so sobrang baba,” she added.
In turn, the DOH-7 official said they will be intensifying COVID-19 vaccination campaigns to encourage more elderlies to get the jab.
She also said they will be reconciling their data with those from the national government.
“Huwag tayo mawalan nang pagasa,” Loreche said.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) decided to extend Cebu’s Alert Level 2 status until March 15.
Metro Manila, on the other hand, has already transitioned to Alert Level 1, the most relaxed quarantine status.
/bmjo
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