National Task Force Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer Vince Dizon confirmed this Sunday that governors and mayors from areas considered high risk with COVID-19 have been allowed to be vaccinated.
On Saturday, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the request of the League of Provinces of the Philippines to include governors and mayors in the group A1 priority list, according to Dizon.
“A letter request was sent by the League of Provinces signed by the President of the League of Provinces. The letter requested the President to consider having all governors and all local chief executives or mayors be considered as frontliners under category A1 to be allowed to be vaccinated,” he said.
“This request was endorsed by the President to the IATF and the IATF yesterday decided to initially allow Mayors and Governors in high risk and critical areas,” he added.
Of the 1,700 governors and mayors nationwide, 400 are in high-risk and critical areas in Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces, Dizon said.
Officials will follow vaccination guidelines, such as receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine if they are a senior citizen or Sinovac if they are 18 to 59 years old.
Governors, mayors in ‘high-risk areas’ can be vaccinated against COVID-19
He said it is important to vaccinate local officials because of their role in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
“Kumbaga sa giyera, sila ang commander natin sa frontlines. Talagang kailangang kailangan nila maprotektahan,” said Dizon.
He said the national task force will talk to the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group in the coming days to plan more simultaneous vaccinations in the A1 to A4 priority groups.
“Dapat wala pong bakuna na natetengga o naiiwan lang sa ating mga stock rooms. Kailangan talaga, we vaccinate as many Filipinos as possible,” said Dizon.
“Kailangan sabay sabay, simultaneous. Hindi na kailangan maghintayan para ang mga bakuna ay hindi nasasayang,” he added.
This Sunday morning, Mayor Isko Moreno was vaccinated at President Sergio Osmeña High School in Tondo, Manila using a vaccine made by the Chinese company Sinovac.
According to Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, who has just received COVID-19, she will be vaccinated once the doctor’s clearance is given.