A total of 100 personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have already been vaccinated against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The DSWD said the first leg of its A4 vaccination was held on June 16 at the East Avenue Medical Center as part of the initiative to protect its personnel against COVID-19.

The vaccinees are personnel of the DSWD-Program Management Bureau and Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU), a special unit of DSWD that serves as an action center to immediately respond to the needs of individuals and families in crisis situations.

The symbolic vaccination of the agency’s A4 priority group was made possible through DSWD’s partnership with the Department of Health (DOH).

Social worker Ma. Lilian Malig-On, 55, cited the importance of receiving the COVID-19 jab not only to protect herself, but also the people she assists in her daily work.

“Unang-una ‘yong protection at the same time para kapag haharap tayo sa kliyente, both of us are safe (First and foremost, protection at the same time so that when we face our client, both of us are safe),” she said.

COVID-19 vaccination of staff, residents of care facilities

Meanwhile, the DWSD has reported that 1,191 staff and residents from 43 Centers and Residential Care Facilities’ (CRCFs) have already received their COVID-19 vaccines. Of this, 320 are elderly residents from the Haven for the Elderly in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) and the Golden Reception and Action Center for the Elderly and Other Special Cases (GRACES) in Quezon City.

While the remaining 871 vaccinees are personnel from various CRCFs nationwide.

The vaccination roll-out was done in partnership with concerned local government units (LGUs) where the CRCFs are located, the DSWD said.

“DSWD pledges to continue to prioritize the welfare and safety of its clients and personnel by ensuring that they are properly provided with the right information on the government’s vaccination program.”