All regions achieve over 45% vaccine coverage for seniors

FILE: Nurse Mega Arvil Obar (right) administers the 2nd booster shot of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to Rosalinda Pascua, 69, during the booster shot for A1 to A5 category at the Zabarte Town Center in Camarin, Caloocan City on Tuesday (May 17, 2022). As of March 22, the national government has fully vaccinated 65,171,415 people in the country. (PNA photo by Ben Briones)

MANILA – All 17 regions in the country have vaccinated at least 45 percent of their senior citizens against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday.

Citing the latest report from the National Vaccination Operations Center, the DOH said in a statement that the Bangsamoro region has the lowest coverage with only 46 percent.

Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region, on the other hand, hold the highest coverage of fully vaccinated senior citizens at 92.8 percent and 90.7 percent, respectively.

Senior citizens are among the priority groups for vaccination and additional shots as they are more susceptible to severe and critical symptoms of Covid-19.

They are also among the first to be given a second booster dose to strengthen their immunity, particularly against the Omicron subvariants.