By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The A2 or senior citizens category in Negros Occidental currently has a low turnout rate for COVID-19 vaccination based on new data released by the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said based on records by the PHO, they have already vaccinated 818,628 or 82.9 percent of the province’s frontline health workers or those tagged under the A1 category.

Those under the A3 category or persons with comorbidities, meanwhile, have already exceeded the rate at 134 percent or 68,623.

However, the A2 category has only reached 36,483 individuals or roughly 30 percent of the target senior citizen population of the province.

Diaz explained that some senior citizens are likely still hesitating about getting vaccinated, or if willing to get vaccinated are most likely concerned about mobility.

Diaz said the PHO is now working on a strategy in order to convince the senior citizens to get vaccinated.

They are presently working on rolling out the vaccines by barangay in order to entice senior citizens to get the jab./DGB, WDJ