A2 VACCINATION. Vaccination for the A2 population in Western Visayas is yet to reach the 70 percent target of the 864,891 eligible senior citizens. The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD) is now reaching out to their carers and children to help convince unvaccinated senior citizens to get vaccinated. (PNA photo screenshot of RVOC report)
ILOILO CITY – The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD) is seeking the help of caregivers and children of senior citizens to encourage the sector to get vaccinated.
DOH WV CHD Nurse 5 Mariebe Adrias, in an interview on Friday, said inoculating the A2 or senior citizen sector is one challenge that they are facing in the region.
“We could not reach the target for our senior citizens and that’s primarily caused by misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, fear of side effects by our elderly and it is also relatively influenced by their capacity. For example, if they are living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas they will find it difficult to go to our vaccination sites,” she said.
Adrias said they are focused on demand-generation efforts, which is educating their carers and their children to convince them of the effects of vaccination.
“When we educate the carers and children of those senior citizens, they might help us in convincing their parents above 60 years old to get vaccinated,” she added.
It is done through house-to-house activities where information and education campaign (IEC) materials are distributed, counseling and dialogue.
To fight misinformation on social media, DOH has already released information video, info-graphics, and weekly presser to discuss in native language updates on vaccination and reminders to the audience.
Already, DOH has been collaborating with local government units for their support from mayors down to the barangay officials.
Likewise, the resources such as vaccine logistics and personnel, are focused on areas with low inoculation accomplishment, Adrias said.
As of Friday, the Regional Vaccination Operations Center (RVOC) report showed that 550,227 or 63.62 percent of the target 864, 891 senior citizens in the region are already fully vaccinated and 111,851 or 12.93 percent have availed of their booster dose.
Adrias said that based on the latest resolution of the national inter-agency task force, vaccination for the elderly is one of the criteria in identifying the alert level system of local government units.
Antique and Negros Occidental have yet to reach the 70 percent target vaccination for their A2 population, which is a factor why they cannot be placed under Alert Level 1 classification. (PNA)
