The Department of Health in Western Visayas will aim for more seniors to get the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) shots with the extension of the National Vaccination Day 4 until March 18.

“Our grandfather and grandmothers are really special that’s what they are being prioritized by our government, stakeholders and partners because we really see that they are one of the prime movers in our community. Sadly they are also the members who suffer from severe or critical Covid-19 infections,” said DOH Senior Health Program Officer John Richard Lapascua in an interview on Tuesday.

From March 10 to 15 of the national vaccination blitz also called “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” 4, only 3, 933 or 7.46 percent of the 52, 731 target senior citizens received their first doses.

In Aklan, only 116 got vaccinated out of the 1,955 expected vaccinees, 179 out of 8,345 in Antique, 188 out of 140 in Guimaras, 1,255 of the 6,180 in Iloilo, province; and 1,403 from the 36,011 targets in Negros Occidental.

Capiz with 258, Bacolod City has 475 and Iloilo City was able to vaccinate 50 seniors, even if they no longer have a target population due to their high vaccination turnout.

Lapascua said the low turnout was due to the challenge in their mobility, refusal on the part of the elderly to get vaccinated since they are just staying home, while others preferred that other members of their family would receive the shots first.

Even if the seniors do not leave their homes, they are still encouraged to get vaccinated due to possible exposure of other family members who are working or have face-to-face classes, the health officer said.

“The key message is for family members of our senior citizens to take initiative to bring their senior citizens to the nearest health center,” he said.

Lapascua added that there are local government units (LGUs) already conducting house-to-house vaccination while others are giving incentives to those who would submit to the inoculation.

Meanwhile, of the total target A2 (senior) population, as of midnight of March 14, only 545,792 or 63.11 percent of the 864,691 target number were vaccinated and 1,872 or. 32 percent are waiting for their second dose.

“It is not enough that they have completed their primary series first and second dose. We still have our booster because we have seen in our data that 108,496 or 12.54 percent of our senior citizens have availed of their booster as of midnight,” he added. (PNA)