BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental’s Provincial Health Office (PHO) has begun vaccinating against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) the elderly in the remote areas of the province through a house-to-house strategy.
PHO head Dr. Ernell Tumimbang said the strategy is part of the Department of Health’s (DOH) “PinasLakas” nationwide campaign.
Tumimbang said many of their elderly targets are in the upland barangays.
“We have to go to their place. House-to-house is still the most effective way for these senior citizens to be vaccinated,” he said.
“PinasLakas” campaign targets to vaccinate 90 percent of senior citizens and administer booster shots to a least 50 percent of the adult population by Oct. 8.
Data from DOH-Western Visayas as of Sept. 5 showed that 60.65 percent or 138,981 of the target 229,162 senior citizens in Negros Occidental have been fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, only 10.46 percent, or 23,969 individuals, in the 60 and above age group have availed themselves of booster shots.
For those aged 18 to 59, the fully vaccinated individuals are now at 944,035, or 82.54 percent of the 1.429 million target vaccinees.
Some 121,927 vaccinees, or 10.66 percent, have already received booster shots in the said age group./PN
