Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / EDWIN BACASMAS
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday urged the public to report those who have jumped the line in the COVID-19 vaccination list despite not being healthcare workers.
“I advise the public na kung nakakakita po kayo ng taong jumping the line or skipping the line, maari po kayo tumawag sa DOH hotline or even mas malapit ang regional offices niyo po para po tayo makapag-imbestiga at matigil natin ang ganitong mga practices,” DOH spokeswoman and undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media briefing.
(I advise the public that if you see those who are jumping the line or skipping the line, you may reach us through the DOH hotline or even to you regional offices so we would have these practices investigated.)
The DOH, in a follow-up message to reporters, said that the public may report such instances to the Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau Complaint and Action Unit at 8651-7800 local 2527.
Vergeire then reiterated the DOH’s plea to follow the COVID-19 vaccine prioritization framework.
“This prioritization framework, hindi naman po natin ‘yan inilagay just for anything else, but just because we have specific objectives in this response for COVID and how we are doing our vaccination,” she said.
(We did not come up with this prioritization framework just for anything else, but we have specific objectives in this response for COVID-19 and how we are doing our vaccination.)
“Kaya po natin ginawa itong framework na ito dahil gusto muna natin bakunahan ang mga vulnerable natin,” she added.
(We did this framework because we want to vaccinate those who are the most vulnerable.)
This comes after Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez got vaccinated with China’s Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac at his home.
Romualdez defended the move, saying that he only did it to ease people’s doubts, including that of health workers since only 50 percent of them were willing to get vaccinated.
He also dispelled allegations that he was given special treatment, adding that as a mayor, he should also be considered as a frontline worker and deserved to be injected.
The DOH spokesperson previously said that reports of persons jumping the vaccination queue have already been forwarded to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.