QC seniors given Janssen vax
Considering the population and the current case count in District 2, virus transmission is highly probable, especially with the threat of the Delta variant
The Quezon City local government allotted its first supply of Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen vaccine to senior citizens in District 2 in a one-day rollout as part of its target to vaccinate 1.7 million individuals.
Of the city’s six districts, District 2 is the most densely populated, composed of five barangays with a population of 738,000, based on the latest data of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
City officials explained senior citizens of District 2 must be prioritized given the threat of the Delta variant and the relatively higher numbers of Covid-19 cases in the area.
District 2 has the highest number of underprivileged communities, which makes it most vulnerable to virus transmission and its residents the least able to afford hospital care.
Officials said the decision to focus the vaccine supply on District 2 was based on sound evidence, including the number of cases per hundred thousand, number of deaths and other factors, like minimal health seeking behavior, affecting senior citizens in the area.
The Quezon City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU) reported District 2 has 13,834 of the city’s 106,137 total cases, as of 26 July 2021. The number of cases in District 2 has risen by 21 percent over the past 14-day period.
Dr. Rolly Cruz, CESU head, said District 2 has the highest case fatality rate among all the districts in the city. Out of the 217 individuals who have died in the district, 113 or 52 percent of deaths were aged 60 and above.
“Considering the population and the current case count in District 2, virus transmission is highly probable, especially with the threat of the Delta variant. A single case can lead to multiple cases due to the fact that there are many vulnerable individuals, and quarantine protocols are hard to implement because the houses are clustered,” Cruz said.
Joseph Juico, Task Force Vax to Normal co-chair, said the limited 19,000 doses of J&J vaccine can considerably increase population protection in District 2.