The National Economic and Development Authority released the sectors included in the A4 COVID-19 vaccination priority group.
Health workers (A1), senior citizens (A2), and people with co-morbidities (A3) were first to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus.
NEDA Undersecretary Rose Edillon said the A4 COVID-19 vaccination priority group includes workers in sectors that have “high levels of interaction with or exposure to the public” and economic sectors that are needed to ensure security, consumers, and worker safety.
A4 COVID-19 vaccination priority group
- A4.1 – Commuter transport (land, air, and sea), including logistics
- A4.2 – Frontline government workers in justice, security, transport social protection sectors
- A4.3 – Public and private wet and dry market vendors; frontline workers in grocery, supermarkets; delivery services
- A4.4 – Workers in manufacturing for food, beverage, medical and pharmaceutical products
- A4.5 – Frontline workers in food retail, including food service delivery
- A4.6 – Frontline government workers
- A4.7 – Frontline workers in financial services
- A4.8 – Teaching and related personnel in medical and allied medical courses of higher education institutions, including personnel handling laboratories
- A4.9 – Frontline workers in hotels and accommodation
- A4.10 – Priests, pastors, religious leaders regardless of denomination
- A4.11 – Construction workers in government infrastructure projects
- A4.12 – Security guards or personnel assigned in the establishments, offices, agencies, and organizations identified in these priority sectors
- A4.13 – Overseas Filipino workers not classified above, and scheduled for deployment within two months
Also read: Vaccination of those with comorbidities to begin in Manila
Edillon said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease approved the A4 COVID-19 vaccination priority list. The National Immunization Technical Advisory Group is developing “detailed guidelines,” she added.”
Edillon said establishments, agencies, and organizations (EAOs) shall issue certificates of A4 eligibility to their employees who belong to the subgroup.
The NEDA official said the vaccination of the A4 priority group can begin by May but that is the “best-case scenario.” The schedule can be even pushed back to June, July, and August.
In February, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said that the “major rollout” would begin in the third quarter of the year at the earliest.