DOH: Vaccination of essential workers, indigents to focus on Metro Manila, 8 areas first
MANILA, Philippines — The rollout of simultaneous vaccination of essential workers and indigent Filipinos will focus first on Metro Manila and eight other areas deemed high-risk to COVID-19, a health official said on Wednesday.
In a Laging Handa briefing, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said they are eyeing simultaneous vaccination after volumes of vaccines arrive. This came after vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government has approved vaccination of A4 and A5 priority groups by June or when the supply of vaccine steadies.
“We will continue those who are not covered in A1, A2 and A3 (priority groups) then we will expand the coverage to A4 and A5, but we will focus first in what we call 'NCR Plus 8',” Cabotaje said in Filipino.
Frontline workers in essential industries are under the A4 vaccine priority group, while the indigent population is part of A5.
Cabotaje explained that majority of the vaccine supply will be deployed to NCR Plus 8 geographic priorization, which covers Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, Pampanga, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao.
Cabotaje, who also chairs the National Vaccination Operations Center, noted that the localities in the NRC Plus 8 are where health authorities recorded a surge in cases.
The health official said they are eyeing to achieve herd immunity in Metro Manila and the eight other priority areas by November, but she stressed this will depend on the steady supply of vaccine arriving in the country.
Citing Galvez, Cabotaje added: “We will receive about 10-11 million by June, July, August. We will be able to reach many of our vaccinees especially in geographic NCR Plus 8 areas.”
Government data presented in the same briefing showed that as of May 18, 3,299,470 total doses have been administered. 2,512,942 Filipinos received their first jabs, while 786,528 were inoculated with two doses.
Health authorities on Wednesday logged 4,700 new infections, pushing national coronavirus caseload to 1,159,071. — Kristine Joy Patag
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