DAVAO CITY - Former Defense Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro was eligible to receive his COVID-19 vaccine in Davao, the regional director of the Department of Health here said Monday (June 7).
In an online press briefing here, Dr. Annabelle Yumang said Teodoro, who was a former representative for the first district of Tarlac and a resident of the province, is a person with comorbidity.
Yumang said she immediately spoke with the focal person of DOH in Davao City who then reported that Teodoro, 56, was "qualified" to be vaccinated here.
"Qualified si (Teodoro) na mabakunahan siya because of his comorbidity which is hypertension (He is qualified to get vaccinated because of his comorbidity which is hypertension)," Yumang said.
Teodoro received COVID-19 vaccination in Davao following his visit here with former Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., to meet with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte last Thursday.
Based on DOH Memorandum Circular No. 2021-0099, which is the Interim Omnibus Guidelines for the Implementation of the National Vaccine Deployment Plan for COVID-19, the priority population group under Phase 1 of the vaccination program include those categorized as A3 or "adults with comorbidities not otherwise included in the preceding categories." The A1 and A2 refer to frontline health workers in medical facilities, health professionals and nonprofessionals, and allied profession courses with clinical responsibilities; and senior citizens, respectively.
Under the guidelines, vaccination sites or zones are also mandated to prepare a quick substitution list (QSL) in case of nonattendance of the identified eligible recipients of the vaccines.
"QSLs shall include eligible recipients from facilities or sites within the same zone, province, highly urbanized city, or independent component city, provided that identification of recipients is based on the same priority group," the document reads.
The said guidelines also provide that "no walk-in vaccination shall be accommodated since vaccines allocated for the day are sufficiently assigned for the projected number of vaccinations to be conducted in a day."
However, Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said last Friday that the DOH is "not so much very strict sa (with) geographic limitations."
Meanwhile, Mayor Duterte is still mum on the purpose of Teodoro and Andaya's meeting with her last week. During the radio program Special Hour with Mayor Inday Sara Duterte on Monday, the city mayor said she has "no comment" on their visit.