PROTECTED. An elderly man receives his first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine during the rollout of the Russian-made jab at the Makati Coliseum in Makati City on May 13, 2021. Senior citizens who are listed under the A2 group of the government's vaccination priority sectors are among the recipients of the first tranche of 15,000 doses of the government-procured Sputnik V vaccines. (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)
MANILA – Local government units (LGUs) should find a way to register seniors, who are non-tech savvy and without access to the internet, for a Covid-19 vaccination schedule, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said.
"The LGUs must help our seniors who do not know how to use high-tech gadgets. Find the ways on how to register them immediately even manually so that they can avail themselves of the vaccines," Año said in a text message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Wednesday.
While many older adults have access to the internet and are tech-savvy, others are not and have a hard time navigating vaccination registration websites set up by LGUs.
"Kung kinakailangan i-house-to-house sila (If needed, LGUs should conduct house-to-house visitations to register them) then so be it," Año said.
Since the start of the vaccination rollout last March, among the groups prioritized for inoculation are senior citizens or under the A2 category.
Año also appealed to the public not to be picky about the vaccine brand, saying all vaccines are safe and effective and would protect them from severe Covid-19.
"Mas mahirap kung abutan ka ng Covid-19 sa kapipili o kahihintay mo (It would be a lot difficult if you get infected with Covid-19 while waiting for the brand of your choice). The best vaccine is the one available to you now. Parehas lang naman ang bisa ng nga 'yan. Ang mahalaga ay protektado ka na ngayon (All of them are effective and proven safe. The important thing is that you are protected)," he added.
Meanwhile, Año, a Covid-19 survivor, said he had received his first shot of CoronaVac two weeks ago after getting cleared by his doctor for the jab.
"Sa June 5 pa second dose ko (My second dose will be on June 5)," he said.
Año, a former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief, had contracted Covid-19 twice last year, in March and August.
His second infection required him to be confined at the hospital. (With Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
