ILIGAN CITY (PIA)--The City Health Office (CHO) here is ramping up its coronavirus disease (Covid)-19 vaccination drive to encourage more people, especially the elderly, to get their shots amid the looming threat from the Delta variant.

Acting City Health Officer Dr. Belinda Lim said in a radio interview Wednesday morning, August 11, that 40-59 years old essential workers who make up the A4 priority group can bring unvaccinated senior citizens (A2)  as their Bakuna Buddy on August 12-13, 2021 at La Salle Vaccination site, this city.

Included in the A4 priority group are private sector employees who are required to work outside their places of residence; employees of government agencies, government corporations, and local government units; and informal sector workers who are self-employed and who may be required to work outside their residences, among others.

Lim, who is also the health cluster manager of the city's Emergency Operations Center, said those who want to avail of the Bakuna Buddy must secure first an Appointment Slip from their respective Barangay Health Center to be accommodated at the vaccination site.

"Pwede na sila makapangayo og appointment slip sa barangay health centers. Kagahapon ako nang geingnan ang mga district nurses na pahibal on ilang mga midwives ani," she said.

[They can now request an appointment slip at their respective barangay health centers. I already told the district nurses yesterday to inform their midwives on this.]

Aside from the Bakuna Buddy, the city government of Iligan has also exempted fully vaccinated senior citizens from stay-home orders to encourage more to get inoculated and help CHO meet its COVID-19 immunization target so that it can proceed to the next priority group.

Currently, CHO is still inoculating those under the A2 and A3 priority groups.

Under Executive Order 192 issued on Monday, August 9, by City Mayor Celso Regencia, fully-vaccinated seniors may venture out of their homes and enter public and private establishments provided they present their vaccination card and practice minimum health protocols such as social distancing and wearing face masks and face shields. (APB/PIA-ICIC)