Almost 3 months after starting the vaccine rollout in the country, more than 5 million Filipinos have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 1.2 million have completed 2 doses.
It is said to be higher than the government’s target of 4 million vaccinations before the end of May.
According to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., 500,000 vaccines per day are needed in Metro Manila and 8 other places to achieve herd immunity in November.
“Pagka meron tayong steady supply, local governments can meet their target. I’m very confident that we can achieve virus containment by August or September. More than 30 percent of the population will be vaccinated by then,” said Galvez.
With the arrival of more vaccines, vaccination will also begin in June for the A4 priority group or workers in the private sector, government agencies, and informal sector.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) clarified that the A4 priority group does not cover work-from-home workers.
Because the supply of vaccines is still limited, on-site workers need to be prioritized.
The agency estimates that vaccination of work-from-home workers will begin in September.
According to NEDA, in A4 vaccination, employers need to prepare a master list of their employees working on-site and submit it to the local government unit (LGU).
Over 5 million Filipinos vaccinated vs COVID-19
Informal sector workers can contact the LGU directly.
Establishments can also have their own vaccination site in the workplace.
He said the A4 vaccination would first be implemented in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.
According to Galvez, 10 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are expected to arrive in the country in June.
If vaccines continue to arrive, it is possible to open the vaccine rollout to the general population in September, Galvez said.
However, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian asked the government to start the COVID-19 vaccination of the general public or to “those who are willing” next month.
“We’re now in our third month of our vaccination program, and from my observation, it’s about time to move the general public up in the priority program as early as June,” Gatchalian said in an ANC interview.
“So meaning, allowing the general public, anyone who is willing to take their vaccine to be vaccinated as early as June,” he added.
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