Covid kills 2,300 unvaxxed seniors in Central Visayas

OVER 2,300 unvaccinated senior citizens have been reported dead due to coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Central Visayas from May 2021 to February this year.Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH 7) and spokesperson of the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC), disclosed this Monday, March 7, 2022, to encourage senior citizens to get vaccinated against Covid-19.Of the number, 1,006 were 61 to 70 years old, accounting for the highest number of unvaccinated deaths of all the age groups in the region which groups Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces.About 830 and 493 dead senior citizens belonged to the age groups of 71 to 80 years old, and 81 and above, respectively.Loreche noted that about 4,883 individuals died in the span of 10 months in the region, of whom 2,728 were senior citizens. At least 2,329 or 85 percent of these senior citizens were unvaccinated.Of the 4,883 deaths, Loreche said only 15 percent or 732 individuals from all age groups were vaccinated against Covid-19 while 85 percent or 4,151 individuals were unvaccinated.In the 41 to 50 years old age group, there were 572 deaths, of whom only 103 were vaccinated, while in the 51 to 60 years old age group, there were 976 Covid deaths, of whom only 147 were vaccinated.For senior citizens ages 61 to 70 years old, there were 1,199 deaths, of whom only 193 were vaccinated. In the 71 to 80 age group, there were 955 deaths, of whom only 125 individuals were vaccinated, while in the age group of 81 years old and above, 574 senior citizens died, of whom only 81 were vaccinated.“This means your chances of dying from Covid when you are in these age groups, if you are unvaccinated, are really super high. So why take the risk?” Loreche said.Apart from that, the public should also consider the cost they will incur for hospital admission even if they don’t die from Covid-19.NVD 4th roundLoreche earlier said the DOH 7 is targeting to vaccinate at least 150,000 senior citizens during the fourth round of the National Vaccination Days (NVD) on March 10 to 12 for the entire region to be placed under Alert Level 1 status, which is the new normal.Local government units should each vaccinate 68 percent of their eligible senior citizens to be placed under such status. This is one of the criteria set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.As of March 6, Metro Cebu reached the vaccination ratio of 65.89 percent or 134,640 senior citizens out of 204,326 eligible vaccinees.Loreche said Cebu City already reached 66.17 percent or 58,226 senior citizens out of 88,000 eligible vaccinees while Lapu-Lapu City was still way off the mark as it had only jabbed 51.39 percent or 16,096 seniors out of 31,322 eligible vaccinees.The City of Naga was still at 52.13 percent or 5,705 vaccinated seniors out of 10,944 eligible vaccinees while the towns of Consolacion and Liloan were still at 50.86 percent or 5,863 seniors vaccinated and 51.67 percent or 5,994 seniors out of 11,600, respectively.However, the highly urbanized city of Mandaue, along with Talisay City and the towns of Minglanilla and Cordova, have exceeded the vaccination ratio requirement.Mandaue City was at 91.33 percent or 21,879 senior citizens of 23,956 eligible vaccinees while Talisay City was at 77.13 percent or 11,971 vaccinated seniors out of 15,520. Minglanilla had vaccinated 80.26 percent or 6,085 seniors out of 7,582 while Cordova had vaccinated 72.80 percent or 2,925 seniors out of 3,875.Loreche said the towns of Tudela and Pilar in Cebu Province also exceeded the vaccination requirement for senior citizens as they had vaccinated 78.98 percent and 72.02 percent of their respective eligible populations of 1,180 and 1,183 senior citizens.