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CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 09 September) — Vaccine hesitancy among senior citizens here has prompted city officials to rethink the recommendation by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the optional use of facemasks. City Health Officer Dr. Rachel Dilla said vaccine hesitancy among senior citizens is “high,” making it not advisable not to wear facemasks even outdoors. “That proposal is so dependent on 1st booster dose and Covid status here. It (wearing facemasks) would still be advisable for senior citizens and those with co-morbidities,” Dilla said.
She said said only 10 percent of the senior citizens have received their first booster shots out of the 90-percent target. She said data with the CHO showed it is difficult to reach out to the senior citizens because they are hesitant to be inoculated.
She said only 60 of the 5,361 senior citizens targeted for inoculation last August 22 were given the first booster shots.
“It’s a measly 1.14-percent coverage since the rollout of the Pinaslakas targets,” Dilla said in an office memorandum obtained by MindaNews. The Department of Health launched last July “Pinaslakas,” the nationwide booster vaccine campaign aimed to increase the number of Filipinos that would be given booster shots to help maintain the country’s wall of immunity against Covid-19. BenCyrus Ellorin, communications group head of Cagayan de Oro Mayor Rolando Uy said City Hall is fully aware of the problem and is devising plans to disseminate the booster shots among the senior citizens. In several interviews, Uy even offered to give one sack of rice and goodies to every senior citizen willing to be inoculated.
“The administration of Mayor Uy is working hard to meet the Pinaslakas targets. He believes that vaccination is our best protection against the virus,” Ellorin said. He said Uy also believes that vaccination will be the key to the economic recovery of the city. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)