BAGUIO CITY (PIA)– The Department of Health(DOH) through the Regional Vaccination Operations Center calls on all local government units, and all offices working for the welfare of the elderly to help in ensuring that all eligible senior citizens in the Cordillera will be vaccinated against COVID 19.
DOH–CAR Regional Director and RVOC chairperson Dr. Ruby Constantino said COVID–19 remains a public health concern regardless of age, race and ethnicity. The risk of severe illness, complications and death from COVID–19 increases with age.
Constantino said senior citizens are considered most vulnerable of getting infected, thus in the enforcement of community quarantine, they are advised to remain at home at all times. Due also to this vulnerability, senior citizens are next in priority for vaccination after workers in frontline health services.
“We are appealing to all our partners at all levels to assist the government in this endeavor, and to all 60 years old and above constituents to take this opportunity to be vaccinated,” Constantino said.
As of June 14, 2021, DOH–CAR data shows that COVID 19 deaths among ages 60–69 already reached 190 or 27 percent, and 282 among 70 years old and above which account for 40.5% of the recorded deaths in the Cordillera.
Based on the Cordillera RVOC June 17 data, there are 144,446 masterlisted senior citizens in the region, of which 37,357 or 25.86% already got their first dose of COVID–19 vaccines including 9,562 who already completed their two doses of vaccines.
Nationwide, the National Vaccination Operations Center data show around 1.89 million or 23.18% out of the 8,173,223 masterlisted senior citizens in the country already received their first dose of COVID–19 vaccines as of June 17. **JDP/CCD-PIA CAR