Senator Grace Poe filed Senate Bill 1994 or the proposed “Vaccine Passport Act” which urges the government to create policies for proper recording of the vaccine administration.
“Parang talaan ito kung saan dapat nakalagay kung anong bakuna ang binigay sa inyo at kailan, at sino ang nagbigay,” she said.
“Mahalaga ito sa maraming iba’t ibang uri ng negosyo, para alam natin na ligtas tayo kapag tayo ay pumunta sa isang restaurant, o kaya kapag meron isang food facility na nagha-handle halimbawa ng pagkain, gusto natin na ligtas ang ating pakiramdam,” she added.
However, Poe admitted that the Vaccine Passport Act may not become a law in time for the government’s start of COVID-19 vaccination. The first 117,000 doses of vaccines from the COVAX facility are expected to arrive this month.
“Ito ba ay aabot pagdating ng rollout? Sa tingin ko ‘yung batas hindi, sapagkat alam naman natin ang debate pagdating diyan,” she said.
Poe said she already reminded Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to create policies and procedures on how to record the vaccination of Filipinos before the Vaccine Passport Act is approved.
“Nung kami ay nagkaroon ng pagdinig at kasama si Sec. Duque, pinaalalahanan namin siya at sabi naman niya na gagawin nila ‘yun kahit walang batas na dapat meron kang pruweba,” Poe said.
Grace Poe files Vaccine Passport Act
“Meron pa nga silang sinasabing QR code para masabi kung anong dosage ang nabigay sa’yo, anong klaseng bakuna,” she added.
The senator also urged the public to keep a record of the vaccine brand and doses they got as proof they were already vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Kung nagkaroon ng agrabiyado, kung ang inyong reaksyon ay hindi maganda, pwede ninyong ipakita ‘yun sa inyong healthcare worker na sinasabing ito ang bakunang ibinigay ninyo,” she said.
Vaccine Passport Act states that the vaccine record will contain the types and purposes of vaccines received by the holder, the batch numbers the vaccines belong to, dates administered, and the persons and institutions that administered the inoculation.
Collection of fees for the issuance, amendment, or replacement of a vaccine passport, as well as penalties for possessing more than one vaccine passport, falsification, and forgery is also prohibited under the bill.