Solon asks MMDA to conduct door-to-door vaccination for seniors, persons with comorbidities
A lawmaker representing the Filipino senior citizens has asked the Metro Manila Council to conduct door-to-door vaccination drives to the aged and those with comorbidities amid threats of the Omicron variant in the country.
In a letter dated Jan. 7, 2022 to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos, Senior Citizens partylist Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes said individuals belonging to A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities) categories​ cannot easily get vaccinated because of the following "roadblocks":
• The need for registration and scheduling before inoculation renders the vaccination process too tedious for most that then deters them from ever pursuing vaccination,
• A large majority of our senior citizens are not aware nor are capable of going through the process of online registration for vaccination, and
• The difficulty for senior citizens to go through the registration process and go out of their houses to get the vaccination once they get their schedule
According to Ordanes, "these roadblocks have led to us having almost 1.5 million unvaccinated senior citizens in the country."
The lawmaker thus believed that it is necessary for the government to exhaust all its efforts "in ensuring that all our vulnerable populations are protected from this pandemic through vaccination."
Aside from door-to-door vaccination drives, Ordanes also called on Abalos to allow those belonging to A2 and A3 categories "to be allowed to walk in any vaccination center...without the need for pre-registration."