The Philippines will expand its COVID-19 vaccination program to include economic frontliners, one of the officials leading the country's pandemic response said Tuesday.
Economic frontliners in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Cebu, and Davao will be prioritized in the expansion of the COVID-19 vaccination program, said Sec. Vince Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19 Response. The program will eventually be extended to the poor, he said.
"Inanunsyo na po ng ating vaccine czar at inaprubahan na po ng ating Pangulo ang expansion natin sa economic frontliners, at national government frontliners--'yung tinatawag natin na A4 category sa mga susunod na linggo," Dizon said in a press briefing in Malacanang.
ALSO READ:
These Essential Workers are Part of Vaccine Priority List, Fourth in Line
Currently, the country's COVID-19 vaccination program cover the first three in its priority list which are health workers (A1), senior citizens (A2), and persons with comorbidities (A3). Economic frontliners are categorized as A4.
Areas that will be prioritized in the expansion of the vaccination program were chosen based on the severity of the local COVID-19 situation, and their contribution to the economy
"Ito po ay priority natin dahil unang-una, sila ang may pinakamataas na incidence ng COVID-19, at sila din ang mga area na pinakaimportante sa ating ekonomiya, so sila ang uunahin," Dizon said.
Once more vaccine supplies become available, the program will be further expanded to other areas, he added.
These people qualify as A4 or essential workers:
- Frontline workers in groceries, supermarkets, delivery services
- Workers in manufacturing for food, beverage, medical and pharmaceutical products frontline workers in food retail, including food service delivery
- Frontline workers in private and government financial services
- Frontline workers in hotels and accommodation establishments
- Priests, rabbis, imams, and other religious leaders
- Security guards/ personnel assigned in offices, agencies, and organizations identified in the list of priority industries/sectors
- Frontline workers in private and government news media; customer-facing personnel of telecoms, cable and internet service providers, electricity distribution and water distribution utilities
- Frontline personnel in basic education and higher education institutions and agencies
- Overseas Filipino workers, including those scheduled for deployment within two months.
- Frontline workers in law/justice, security, and social protection sectors
- Frontline government workers engaged in the operations of government transport system, quarantine inspection; worker safety inspection and other COVID-19 response activities
- Frontline government workers in charge of tax collection, assessment of businesses for incentives, election, national ID, data collection personnel; diplomatic community and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) personnel in consular operations
- Department of Public Works and Highways personnel in charge of monitoring government infrastructure projects
MORE ON COVID-19 VACCINATION:
Duterte Says Prioritize the Poor for COVID Vaccines
Herd Immunity for PH This Year? 'We Can Do It,' Says Vaccine Czar
Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.
