More individuals may soon receive coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines after the government's pandemic task force allowed the inclusion of more workers in the Priority Group A4 of the country's COVID-19 vaccination program.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement as the government beefs up its vaccination efforts, especially since many vaccines will start expiring next month.
In PTV-4's Laging Handa public briefing, Roque said that the following employees in the following businesses of offices/agencies are now part of the A4 group:
- Business process outsourcing industry
- Commission on Elections
In addition, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dealers, retailers, and attendants now form part of the approved Priority Group A4.2 for vaccine deployment under the “retail trade operators and frontliners.”
This week, Roque said that the government has planned to expand the vaccination program to include A4 and A5 groups starting as early as June.
"Isasabay po natin ang A4 at A5 at ito ay magsisimula na tayo sa Hunyo, if not even earlier--possibly within the last week of May. Tignan po natin (We will simultaneously vaccinate the A4 and A5 groups starting June, if not earlier--possibly within the last week of May. We will see)," he said.
He, however, said that vaccines from the COVAX Facility will not be used on the A4 group, but instead, the shots that the government has procured will be the ones given to them.
President Duterte has ordered the swift distribution of vaccines to local government units (LGUs), saying it would unacceptable if the country will lose the fight against COVID-19 just because the shots expired due to negligence.
"Ito, kailangan ng (This needs) handling, special kind of handling. It has to be --- there’s a certain temperature that you have to maintain. Otherwise, you would lose out everything. It would lose its effectiveness," he said.
"I am just saying this because I do not want to lose the battle here through negligence," he added.
The government rolled out its vaccination program on March 1 with medical frontliners as the priority (A1). Following them are mayors and governors (A1.5), senior citizens (A2), persons with comorbidities (A3), government and economic frontliners (A4), and the indigent population (A5).