DOH Department of HealthPersonnel from the Department of Health (DOH) will be the last among health workers who will receive a vaccine against COVID-19, Health Undersecretary Dr. Myrna Cabotaje said Sunday.
In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Cabotaje said the government will prioritize health workers in health facilities and those involved in contact tracing, testing, and taking care of COVID-19 patients.
Also prioritized in the vaccination program are workers in rural health units and in the barangay to whom patients first go when they experience symptoms of COVID-19.
"Ang priority 'yung mga nasa health facilities muna, tapos 'yung mga nasa DOH because we are also involved in contact tracing, tapos nagra-rapid response tayo kapag may mga nagkakaroon ng clustering ng mga cases," Cabotaje said.
"'Yan ang definition ng healthcare workers. Pero among the healthcare workers, last priority ang mga nasa DOH," she added.
The Philippines targets to inoculate You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. within the year, and an estimated You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. in February.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the vaccine manufactured by American corporation Pfizer could be the first that will be used against COVID-19 in the country as the COVAX Facility will have an early rollout of the said brand.
Cabotaje said that next week and in the first week of February, the DOH will start going around communities to finalize the master list of individuals who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.
"Sa ngayon, based on recent data, 18 years old and above ang puwedeng bakunahan. Pero it will depend on the number of vaccines and the kind of vaccine," she said.
"Alam naman natin iba-iba 'yung mga bakuna na darating. Hindi sila dadating nang sabay-sabay at may portfolio of vaccines, so mga seven vaccines na 'yan. So kung sino ang maunang bakuna, 'yun ang ibibigay natin sa ating priority eligible population," she added.
In the National Capital Region, the DOH has already identified the number of hospital staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Cabotaje said.
"Kapag sinabi nating babakunahan natin 'yung mga empleyado ng ospital, lahat ng empleyado — contractual, regular, nasa admin, 'yung mga nasa food service, 'yung mga janitorial, 'yung mga security guard — na nagtatrabaho sa ospital, babakunahan 'yan kasama ng mga doktor, mga nurses at ibang professionals," she said.
After healthcare workers, employees of select government offices will be vaccinated, to be followed by indigent senior citizens, and other seniors and indigents, according to the government's vaccination roadmap.
The government has You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. for its massive COVID-19 vaccination program, of which P2.5 billion will come from the Department of Health's budget allocation for 2021, while the P10 billion will be sourced from the COVID-19 vaccination program of the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act.
Meanwhile, the remaining P70 billion will be sourced from loans provided by multilateral lenders, the Philippines’ bilateral partners, and/or the domestic market. —KG, GMA News
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