MANILA, Philippines — Local government officials have moved several levels up in the priority list of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program, Malacañang said Monday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed that local officials are now fourth in priority after frontline health workers (A1), senior citizens (A2), and persons with co-morbidities (A3).
“Totoo po yan, I confirm that. I think A4 po ata but I could be wrong. Pero kasama na sila sa A priority. Nasa A4 po sila,” Roque said in an online briefing when asked if governors, mayors and village chiefs moved up the vaccine priority list.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque/ Screenshot from PCOO Facebook video
(That’s true, I confirm that. I think they’re now under A4 but I could be wrong. But they are now under the A priority, the A4 category.)
Under the priority groups approved by the country’s Interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), those under the A4 priority are “frontline personnel in essential sectors including uniformed personnel.”
Government workers are down the NITAG’s list after the indigent population (A5), and teachers and social workers (B1). However, Roque said not all government workers will have priority.
LIST: Priority groups for government’s Covid-19 vaccination program
“I think not all government officials will have priority. In fact, doon kami sa B, matapos yung unang priority. Pero sa general population, there will be priority for government workers. Pero sa ngayon po, hindi pa po kasama ang lahat,” Roque said.
(I think not all government officials will have priority. In fact, we’re under the B group which will be vaccinated after the first under the priority list. But for the general population, there will be priority for government workers. But for now, not everyone will be included.)
“Pinagaaralan naman po siguro yan ng mga miyembro ng NITAG kasi meron talagang mga taong frontliners within government service na hindi health at kasama po yung opisina namin dahil we provide information at this critical time of a pandemic,” he added.
(The members of the NITAG are studying this because there are frontliners within government service who are not under the health sector including our office because we provide information at this critical time of the pandemic.)
Earlier, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. appealed to local officials to step aside from the initial vaccination rollout so as not to compromise the prioritization of health workers with the limited vaccine supply available.