The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) has lauded the latest decision of the national government to identify frontline personnel in higher education institutions as a priority sector for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program.
On Friday, April 16, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the vaccine priority group A4, which includes basic education and higher education institutions and agencies personnel.
Other key economic and societal agents such as market vendors, retail sales personnel, security guards, and delivery workers are also part of this cluster.
"The Pamantasan welcomes this move of the IATF as it gives an extra layer of protection for our very own frontliners, especially those who are vital to sustaining the day-to-day of PLM under the new normal," PLM President Emmanuel Leyco said in a statement Friday night, April 17.
With more economic and public frontliners now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, Leyco said he hopes additional vaccine supplies will be delivered to the country as soon as possible to "prevent further infections and death" and to kickstart "a more aggressive campaign promoting vaccination."
"We have lost too many lives, jobs, and opportunities to the year-long pandemic, and having more Filipinos vaccinated at the soonest possible time will pave the way for a quicker recovery," he added.
As of April 13, the country has received a total of 3,025,600 vaccine doses, consisting of 2.5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine and 535,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
On April 9, the Department of Health (DOH) said additional AstraZeneca doses supplied by the COVAX global facility will arrive in the country by end-April.
In June, some 20-million doses of COVID-19 vaccine procured from US biotech firm Moderna are expected to arrive in the Philippines, according to tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., who heads the private sector group involved in the tripartite agreement to secure the vaccines.