DOH to conduct house-to-house vaccination of Central Visayas senior citizens
CEBU CITY -- The Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH 7) will conduct house-to-house vaccination for senior citizens.
The house-to-house vaccinations is just one of the measures that the DOH 7 is taking to improve the vaccination rate involving senior citizens, said DOH 7 regional director Dr. Jaime Bernadas.
Bernadas said the vaccination rate in the priority group A2 or the senior citizens has remained at a dismal rate.
“There are still a lot who are hesitant; they are afraid of the side effects aside from the fake news that they are hearing or reading,” said Bernadas.
Aside from the house-to-house and mobile vaccination, the DOH 7 will also launch information campaigns through radio stations, provide emotional support and social preparations a day before the vaccination.
Bernadas said the DOH 7 has also submitted to the Department of Interior and Local Government a list of local government units (LGUs) which have yet to conduct mobile vaccinations.
Bernadas assured that the DOH 7 will be providing personnel to these LGUs that have yet to conduct mobile vaccination.
As of mid-March, the vaccination rate for senior citizens was still at 52.96 percent.
The low vaccination rate for senior citizens have been noted in Bohol, Negros Oriental and Cebu province. Bernadas said the DOH 7 will focus more on areas with low vaccination rate.
“We will be pushing more support to the highly populated and low performing areas,” said Bernadas.
In Region 7, only Siquijor and the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu have achieved a 70 percent vaccination rate.
Overall, only 62.54 percent of the eligible population in Central Visayas are fully vaccinated.