Galvez recommends vaccinating workers, indigents by end-May

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte to start the vaccination of priority workers and the indigents using vaccines from the COVAX Facility by the end of May.

“Ito po ang gusto namin i-suggest sa inyo dahil marami sa business sector at tsaka po sa COVAX na dapat buksan na natin ang A4 at A5. Dapat ang bakuna unahin ang mahihirap,” Galvez said in a taped public briefing aired Tuesday morning.

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(As recommended by the business sector and the COVAX Facility, we want to suggest the opening of the vaccination of the Filipinos under the A4 and A5 categories. We should prioritize the poor.)

The vaccine czar noted that COVAX Facility ensures that the poor have equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

“Considering na gusto naatin mapabilis talaga (ang rollout), kumbaga lalakihan natin ang embudo,” Galvez said.

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“Sa Senate ganoon din ang [recommendation] nilang mag-open na ang A4 at A5 para mawala ang agam-agam na ang AstraZeneca ay mag-eexpire,” he added.

Galvez recommends vaccinating workers, indigents by end-May

(The Senate likewise gave that recommendation to open up the vaccination program to A4 and A5 to assure that the AstraZeneca vaccines will be used before they expire.)

According to National Economic Development Authority’s data, there are 12.8 million Filipino workers under the A4 category and 16 million indigent Filipinos under the A5 category.

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“Kung makita natin ang recommendation ng business sector, karamihan ng Gabinete at sa Senate e, ibukas na po natin as soon as possible time. Puwede na tayo mag-start sa mahihirap para ang mga bakuna sa COVAX ay mabigyan ang mahihirap,” he said.

(With the recommendations from the business sector and the majority of the members of the Cabinet and the Senate, we should open up the vaccination for the poor as soon as possible time in order to give them the COVID-19 jabs from COVAX).

 Duterte said the vaccination of the vulnerable sector was one of his early proposals.

“As a matter of fact your program is suit to my request early on sa pag-umpisa na ito unahin, ang mahihirap. If there is a difficulty in getting them out of their respective communities kayo na ang papasok doon,” Duterte said.

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