HEALTH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III urged economic frontliners belonging A4 priority group to get themselves inoculated against Covid-19 as the rollout for the vaccination of some 35 million workers officially started on Monday.
Duque also administered the vaccine to some people who were given slots. Among those under A4 category who got their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Giga Vaccination Center at The Galleon within the SM Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City included: fast-food workers, truck drivers, Kapuso celebrity couple Iya Villania and Drew Arellano, and a journalist.
In an online media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Department of Health (DOH) is recommending that the A4 category should be “stratified according to age” by local government units and private sector, “….so that it is aligned to the vulnerability or risk that we’re facing now with Covid-19.” Vergeire also noted a limited supply of Covid vaccines.
Meanwhile, Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, in her speech, reiterated her call to support the government’s vaccination program while also highlighting its significance.
“The vaccination of those from the A4 sector is significant because they make up the backbone of the economy,” Rubiano said.
Rubiano added that the start of the vaccination of the A4 group would mean, “We are fighting the virus head-on, and it also means the government under President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is committed to defeat the scourge.”
According to the mayor, “so the message to the private sector is, get vaccinated immediately because vaccination will save your life.”
Government officials present during the ceremonial vaccination were Presidential Spokesman Secretary Harry Roque, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III and some of the country’s business leaders, including Hans Sy of SM Group and Fernando Zobel de Ayala of Ayala Mall.
Those under the A4 category are workers who are physically required to go on site for their job, whether they are from the government, private, informal and even household sector.
For his part, National Task Force against Covid-19 and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said that at least 10 million doses of Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Sputnik V vaccines are due to arrive in the country within the month.
Vaccine rollout
As of 6 p.m. of June 6, 2021, the DOH said a total of 1,544,332 people have been given full protection by the Covid-19 vaccines.
Of the 5,965,651 doses that were administered, 4,421,319 are first doses, and 1,544,332 are second doses.
The total doses administered in the 14th week of national vaccination reached 788,350 doses.
The government is urging eligible populations belonging to priority groups A1 to A3 to register, get vaccinated and complete the required number of doses as scheduled.
The vaccinated population is also urged to continue practicing minimum public health standards, as even those who are fully vaccinated may still get infected with Covid-19 and infect other people.