Doh-calabarzon calls on elderly to register for Covid-19

THE Department of Health (Doh)—calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) recently called on all senior citizens in the region to register for their free Covid-19 vaccine to protect themselves from infection.

DOH Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said that a total of 7,313 senior citizens have already been inoculated in Calabarzon as of April 15, 2021.

“We urge all senior citizens and persons with comorbidities to participate and register in our government’s Covid-19 vaccination program to ensure added protection against the coronavirus. The registration is voluntary and the vaccine is free,” Janairo said.

Once registered, an individual will undergo “careful evaluation” of his/her health status and exposure risk, Janairo said.

“Only after due assessment can a person be vaccinated at their respective local government units [LGUS],” he emphasized.

He stressed that the online registration of priority groups A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities) is essential to ensure a smooth rollout of Covid-19 vaccines among the target population.

“Considering the limited supply of available vaccines, we also need to provide protection to our elderly due to the rising cases of Covid in the country,” Janairo added.

He said that all target groups are advised to register online through the Facebook page of their respective LGUS.

“After registering, wait for text message or call from health workers for the next instruction. For other priority groups, wait for the announcement of the date of registration and vaccination,” he added.

Earlier, Dr. John Wong, a member of the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) technical working group on data analytics, said that 15 percent of the elderly people are less likely “to be infected.”

“But, when infected, they are five times likely to have a severe disease and 10 times more likely to die from Covid,” Dr. Wong said.