The city government here will deploy two buses for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination of some 462 bedridden elderlies at the comfort of their own homes.

Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Jr. said on Tuesday the buses – one owned by the city government and one lent by the local Korean community – will go around the 33 villages starting this week to locate the sick senior citizens who are most susceptible to the virus.

Boarding the buses will be vaccinators and doctors from the City Health Office and Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center, along with the necessary medical equipment and designated support staff.

Lazatin said the mobilization of buses will also enable the city health authorities to reach residents in far-flung areas such as Barangays Sapangbato and Margot.

“Ito ay para po maseguro na ligtas ang ating mga senior citizens lalo na ang mga ginupo na ng iba’t-ibang karamdaman (This is to ensure that our senior citizens are safe especially those afflicted with various illnesses),” the mayor said in an official social media post.

Senior citizens comprise the A2, the second priority group in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, based on the guidelines released by the Department of Health.

To date, out of the 49,964 elderly population in the city, 12,412 have received their first dose while 262 are already fully vaccinated.

Inoculation of the A2 group is still ongoing through an implemented schedule.

“They are the most susceptible to the virus, that is why we are gearing up our efforts to vaccinate all the seniors in the city as soon as possible,” Lazatin said.

He thanked the city’s Korean community for helping the city government in its vaccination rollout to the bedridden seniors.

In November 2020, the 462 sick elderlies received PHP2,000 cash assistance each from the city government along with calcium carbonate supplements via door-to-door delivery.

The city government also carried out a house-to-house distribution of Vitamin C to 25,000 indigent senior citizens. (PNA)