Marikina senior citizens get shots vs pneumonia

MANILA, Philippines - This year, at least 6,000 of Marikina City’s 18,000 registered senior citizens will be given the gift of protection against pneumococcal infections.

The city government headed by Mayor Del de Guzman and Vice Mayor Dr. Jose Fabian Cadiz, in partnership with the city’s Office of Senior Citizens’ Affairs (OSCA) headed by officer-in-charge Tatay Ruding de Guzman, allotted a budget for at least 6,000 doses of pneumococcal vaccines to be given to the less-privileged senior citizens of Marikina.

The project began last July 2 through a ceremonial vaccination with the first micro-needle vaccine against influenza (flu) — a new breakthrough in influenza vaccination through their partner, Sanofi Pasteur, who supplied the pneumococcal vaccine for the health program.

Chairmen of the senior citizens’ organization in each of the city’s 16 barangays were the first to receive the vaccination. As explained to the recipients, the micro-needle vaccine against flu has 15 mcg in antigen content and has been proven to provide tailored protection for senior citizens more than 60 years old.

The project will be implemented by the doctors and nurses from the city’s health office.

According to De Guzman, the project is just in time “as lung diseases are common during the rainy season.”

The pneumococcal vaccine is appropriate at any time of the year, and can be administered at the same time as the influenza vaccine.

Tatay Ruding said the OSCA plans to have the same project next year but for a different set of senior citizens.

This program is the city government’s support to the ongoing vaccination program for senior citizens of the Department of Health.