Govt urged to follow vaccination priority list

SEN. Francis Pangilinan urged the government to follow its vaccination priority list in the face of a limited supply of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines.

In a statement on Sunday, Pangilinan appealed to the government to refrain from violating its guidelines for mass immunization against Covid-19.

“It is specified in the law certified as urgent and passed by the Senate that health workers, being at the forefront in the fight against the virus, must be first in line,” he said, citing Republic Act (RA)n 11525 or the “Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act.”

He noted the recent spike in Covid cases and the emergence of new strains. He said RA 11525 “lists the hierarchy on the priority list for those who need to get vaccinated: healthcare workers, senior citizens, people with co-morbidities, frontline personnel including uniformed personnel and teachers, and indigent population.”

“In an airplane emergency, aren’t parents told to put on their life vest and oxygen mask first to enable them to look after the children with them? This is the same thing here. Priority are those who can care for the vulnerable and then the vulnerable,” the senator added.

“Those who aren’t on the plane, so to speak, are not on the list. That’s why we need to prioritize those who will ensure the health of our people and the economy,” he continued.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Philippine officials’ disregard for the priority list may “impact and jeopardize future deliveries of vaccines through the Covax facility” to the country.

The Covax Facility is a global initiative aimed at an equitable access to the vaccines.

The WHO has advised that priority groups should include healthcare workers on the frontlines, followed by people over the age of 65, and the rest of the population.

Pangilinan reminded the government that “the goal is to curb the infection, reduce deaths, and protect the healthcare system, which can only happen if those most in need of the vaccine receive it first.”

Because of the scarce supply, vaccines have arrived in trickles to the country. The first shipment of 600,000 doses of CoronaVac donated by China arrived on February 28 followed by 487,200 doses of AstraZeneca’s AZD1222 on March 1.

Pangilinan said procuring the doses and which brand remains the decision of the health worker. “Given the critical role they play in caring for others, continued protection for them at work, home, and in the community should be a priority.”

“If we don’t protect and strengthen our front-liners, then all of us at the back will be in danger,” he added.