MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday bared the list of areas considered as a priority for COVID-19 vaccination expected to start this year.
These areas are Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Calabarzon, Davao Region, and Cebu City, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online Palace briefing.
“Natukoy na natin ang priority eligible population and areas for COVID-19 vaccination. Una, ‘yung mga matataas na lugar kung saan maraming COVID,” he said.
(We identified the priority eligible population and areas for the COVID-19 vaccine. First are the areas with the many cases of COVID-19.)
In terms of sectors, the priority for vaccination is health care workers, uniformed personnel, and indigent citizens.
The Philippines is eyeing to procure some 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate 50 to 70 million Filipinos in 2021.
So far, the government has signed deals with China’s Sinovac, the Serum Institute of India, and British drugmaker AstraZeneca.