Parañaque seniors dismayed over COVID-19 vaccine line jumping

Parañaque City Senior citizens cried foul after several people, including actor Mark Anthony Fernandez, jumped the COVID-19 vaccination rollout line.

In a 24 Oras report by Mariz Umali on Friday, couple Jun and Rosita Saldaña said they were dismayed by those who did not follow the government's prioritization list.

"Bakit inuuna 'yan? Unang una mga bata pa yan, tapos sinabi nila may comorbidity, they are depressed, medyo mataas 'yung blood pressure. Pero on the other interview, nanonood ako ng TV, siya ang lakas lakas niya, he is not taking any maintenance medicine. Naloko lang 'yung nagbakuna," said Saldaña.

("Why was he prioritized? First, he is still young, they said he has comorbidity, depressed, his blood pressure is high. But on the other interview, I was watching TV, he is fine, he is not taking any maintenance medicine. The person giving the vaccine was just fooled).

"That's unfair," Saldaña added.

However, other senior citizens were not offended by the line jumping.

"The are plenty of vaccines that arrived, there was no problem for us. We are already old. The young ones needed that, so they can have a long life," said Bobby Sta Maria, 71 yo, in Filipino.

Fernandez was reported to have received his vaccination despite not being on the priority list.

GMA News sought Fernandez's comment on his vaccination.

His handler said the actor was advised by his management not to speak on the issue.

They also asked that Fernandez's silence be respected.

Dr. Olga Virtusio from the Parañaque City Health Office said Fernandez was on the quick substitution list, and that was why he was inoculated.

"He was registered online. Actually, he waited for almost a week of pleading. He came in the morning but he was given the vaccine in the afternoon, almost at the closing time of 4 p.m." Virtusio said.

Virtusio added that prioritizing the most vulnerable was the "ideal set-up," but it was difficult to execute during the implementation.

"We fully abide by that. We prepared a long list of our QSL. Unfortunately, that was already in the afternoon (Fernandez's vaccination). When we were calling, they don't want to come anymore even if they are listed in the QSL, they are not interested anymore," she said.

"Nahirapan kami that time, so we have to run and look for people kasi we still have available vaccine... I don't see any reason bakit nagkamali kami roon just because artista siya," Virtusio said.

(We were having a hard time, so we have to run and look for people because we still have available vaccines... I don't see any reason why we made a mistake just because he's an actor.)

Senior citizens, who are second in the government's priority list, filled the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians Parish on Friday to have themselves vaccinated.

According to the Parañaque City Health Office, they had vaccinated 100 percent of the first 4,000 listed health workers and they were proceeding with vaccinating senior citizens while still administering the vaccine to remaining healthcare workers. — Jamil Santos/DVM, GMA News