The British Embassy in Manila will not have a separate vaccination program for British citizens living here, its office said Friday, March 5.
In a video posted on the embassy’s official Twitter page, British Ambassador to Manila Daniel Pruce said the United Kingdom’s National Health Service will not include British citizens living abroad in the inoculation of its nationals.
“You might wish also to contact your LGU directly to see update on their plans. We have no plans to request the UK’s NHS COVID-19 vaccination program to British nationals living overseas. Wherever possible, British nationals who are resident here in the Philippines should aim to be vaccinate here.”
Instead, Pruce said British citizens must keep updated with news from the Department of Health (DOH), which issued an online frequently asked questions on vaccine-related inquiries.
“And this guidance includes when the vaccine will become available and what you can do while you’re waiting for it,” the envoy added. “We will share information on local vaccine rollouts on our travel advice pages and social media platforms as they are announced.”
Pruce said the British embassy is “working closely” with the Philippine government and the local government units “to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines to British nationals resident in the Philippines.” “The details of that roll-out are being finalized, but we will continue to work closely with our partners here,” he added.
“I know that, like me, British residents here in the Philippines would have seen the great news that COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in the country, and the vaccine deployment program is getting under way.”
The Embassy also said it is “delighted” to see that the Philippines received the first delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in Asia through the United Nations’ COVAX facility, which provides access to safe and efficient vaccines for lower-income economies.
The United Kingdom is one of the biggest donors to COVAX that will secure over one billion doses for about 92 developing countries this year.