Less than half of the number of senior citizens came to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in Barangay 152 in Caloocan City, according to the city’s vaccination authorities as of Wednesday morning.
Now seniors would have been given priority in vaccination, but non-senior citizens and walk-ins had to be given their slot.
As of 10 a.m., only about 80 seniors they invited will show up, according to Dr. Lucille Tumpalan-Ragual, who led the vaccination in the covered court.
“Sa frontliner po, wala tayo ngayon. May mga dumadating po na hindi senior pero binabakunahan na din po namin kasi hindi naman po dumadating lahat ng ini-inivite natin,” said Tumpalan-Ragual.
The covered court of Barangay 152 is one of the 6 vaccination centers for the vaccination of seniors with Sinovac vaccines.
Those in 14 barangays (Bgy. 138, 139, 141, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154 and 155) will also be vaccinated here.
Maypajo High School will focus on seniors in Barangays 26, 30, 31, 34 and 35.
At Cayetano Arellano Elementary School, senior citizens in Barangays 126, 127, 128, 129, 130 and 131 will be vaccinated.
Kalayaan High School will vaccinate senior citizens living in Phase 10 and Phase 11, and Bagumbong High School will vaccinate senior citizens in Barangays 171 and 173.
Only few senior citizens avail of COVID-19 vaccine in Caloocan City
More than 1 million Filipinos have been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, according to government data. Those in the A2 and A3 categories, or your senior citizens and those with comorbidity, are currently vaccinated. Economic frontliners will follow.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already approved the use of the Sinovac vaccine from China in seniors.
This is amid the experienced shortage of vaccines in the Philippines against COVID-19.
According to FDA Director-General Eric Domingo, the office is considering the decision on the increase in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country and the limited vaccine.
“After considering the recommendation of the experts and the current situation of high COVID-19 transmission and limited available vaccines, the FDA is allowing the use of Sinovac on senior citizens,” Domingo said.
But the FDA stressed that the health status and exposure risk of vaccinated seniors should first be evaluated.
The use of Sinovac was previously only allowed in the ages of 18 to 59 years.