Iligan kicks off vaccination of elderly vs COVID-19

ILIGAN CITY, May 5 (PIA)--The city government of Iligan started today the much-anticipated inoculation of senior citizens against the highly contagious coronavirus.

The second priority among population groups after frontline health workers, senior citizens here began to receive the first dose of Sinovac vaccine at the designated vaccination center in Robinson's Place Iligan.

Dr. Belinda "Bunz" Lim, acting city health officer (CHO) and Emergency Operations Center Health Cluster manager, said they initially received 2,700 vaccines from the Department of Health Region 10 for the inoculation of the elderly sector.

"So kitay nag adjust, nag himo mi og appointment slip nga equivalent sa 2,700, and then mao dayon ni siya atong gedistribute sa senior citizens. Mahimo kini siyang "first-come-first-serve" but ato gyud ge priority, on top sa "first-come-first-serve" ang 10 ka barangays nga daghan kaayo COVID-positive," she explained.

[So we adjusted, we made an appointment slip equivalent to 2,700, and then we distributed it to senior citizens. It could be on a" first-come-first-serve" but we really prioritize, on top of" first-come-first-serve" the 10 barangays with the most number of COVID-positive.]

Lim emphasized that the appointment slip will serve as a ticket to a vaccination. "Kung walay appointment slip, walay geallocate nga vaccine para ana nga tawo," she added.

[Without an appointment slip, there is no allocated vaccine for that person.]

According to her, the appointment slip will be distributed through the barangay health centers.

With the appointment slip system, Lim said they expect to receive around 50-70 vaccinees every 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, the CHO hopes that around 90-95% of the 34,460 senior citizens registered in the master list of the city's Office for the Senior Citizen's Affairs will be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The risk of infection to the elderly has been a major concern as older people are more likely to experience severe symptoms.

As of press time, a total of 269 senior citizens in Iligan have tested positive for COVID-19. Of this number, 16 are active and 45 have expired. (APB/PIA-ICIC)