The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is set to study the request of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to have its officials and personnel upgraded in the priority list of persons who should get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra, an IATF member, said that “if the Comelec wants a higher priority within the A4 category, the IATF will consider such request very seriously.”
The Comelec, through Commissioner Ma. Rowena Amelia V. Guanzon, appealed the upgrading of the poll body’s A4.15 classification in the priority list.
The A4.15 sub-group includes frontline government personnel in charge of tax collection, assessment of businesses for incentives, election, national identification, and data collection.
Guanzon said the Comelec needs an upgrading of its category in the vaccination program so that it can proceed with its barangay satellite voter’s registration.
“Kailangan pasukin po talaga ang barangay. Pagpasok mo sa barangay...hindi ka vaccinated that’s a very high risk sa tao namin (We need to go to barangays...but if our personnel are not vaccinated, that’s a very high risk for our people),” she said during a recent interview on ABS-CBN TeleRadyo.
Individuals under the A1 to A3 categories are allowed to be vaccinated against COVID-19. These are healthcare workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities.
Guevarra said that some Comelec officials and personnel can already be classified in the higher categories. “Some Comelec officials and employees fall under category A2 (senior citizens) and category A3 (persons with co-morbidities),” he pointed out.