Elderly must pre-register for COVID-19 vaccine by March 31 in NCR, April 5 in provinces —DOH

Senior citizens must pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccine by March 31 if they reside in Metro Manila or by April 5 if they live outside the capital region, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

In an advisory, the DOH said the elderly must register for a COVID-19 vaccine through their local government unit. 

Local governments were also instructed to coordinate with nursing homes and other similar institutions as well as visit the houses of bedridden senior citizens to get them registered for a vaccine. 

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said local authorities were ordered to conduct preparatory activities for the vaccine rollout. 

“Ayaw natin na magkukumpulan ang mga tao sa mga bakunahan. Kung maaari lang, magkaroon ng mekanismo kung paano sila magkakaroon ng pre-registration para dito sa mga taong ‘to and they immediately responded,” she said in a Monday briefing.

(We don’t want crowding in vaccination sites. [Local governments] should have a mechanism to pre-register prioritized individuals and they immediately responded.)

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the inoculation of senior citizens would begin on April 1. 

In some cities like San Juan, Manila, and Navotas, however, vaccination of senior citizens has already started. 

Over the weekend, the government permitted the simultaneous vaccination of the top three priority sectors: health workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities.  

The Philippines has vaccinated over 656,000 individuals as of March 27. —KG, GMA News