The vaccination drive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for the A4 priority group may start by May or June, an official from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said Monday, April 12.
“Hindi pa kasi ganoon ka-definite 'yung pagdating ng supply of the vaccine (Because the arrival of the supply of the vaccine is not that definite yet), but I think the best case scenario is we can start in May,” NEDA Undersecretary Rose Edillon said in virtual press briefing.
“Pero (But) it can actually slide to June. And I think, of course, there's that first and second dose, so it can be June, July, August,” she added.
The following are those included in the A4 priority group for COVID-19 vaccination:
A4.1 – Commuter transport (land, air, and sea), including logistics
A4.2 – Frontline government workers in justice, security, transport and social protection sectors
A4.3 – Public and private wet and dry market vendors; frontline workers in grocery, supermarkets; delivery services
A4.4 – Workers in manufacturing for food, beverage, medical and pharmaceutical products
A4.5 – Frontline workers in food retail, including food service delivery
A4.6 – Frontline government workers
A4.7 – Frontline workers in financial services
A4.8 – Teaching and related personnel in medical and allied medical courses of HEIs, including personnel handling laboratories
A4.9 – Frontline workers in hotels and accommodation
A4.10 – Priests, pastors, religious leaders regardless of denomination
A4.11 – Construction workers in government infrastructure projects
A4.12 – Security guards/personnel assigned in the establishments, offices, agencies, and organizations
A4.13 – Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) not classified above, and scheduled for deployment within two months
Edillon said establishments, agencies, and organizations (EAOs) are encouraged to widely disseminate among their workers and personnel information on vaccine deployment activities and other procedures in their respective local government units (LGUs).
The NEDA official added that EAOs shall issue a Certificate of A4 Eligibility, whether employment, deployment, assignment, to their workers or personnel who belong to the A4 priority group.
“EAOs are also advised to adopt a schedule system for their workers taking into consideration possible adverse reactions of the vaccines…And the workers will register for the appointment with the advised schedule of their employer,” she said.
“We also hope that these EAOs can provide the logistical support including transport to facilitate the vaccination of their workers, and then coordinate of course with the LGUs for the vaccination,” she added.