MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday confirmed that there is a “quick substitution list” in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program that allows non-healthcare workers to get vaccinated against the disease.
“Kinukumpirma ko na mayroon tayong quick substitution list. Ito ‘yung mga listahan ng mga tao na pwedeng mabigyan ng bakuna kapag ang health worker ay hindi dumating o talagang ayaw tumanggap ng bakuna,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
(I am confirming that there is a quick substitution list. It is a list of people who can get vaccinated if the health worker would refuse it.)
“Kasi hindi naman pwedeng masayang ‘yung mga vials na nabuksan na at kinakailangan magamit na agad ‘yun,” he added.
(The vaccines cannot go to waste and must be used immediately once the vials are opened.)
Roque, however, said he does not know who are those included in the quick substitution list.
He made the confirmation following reports that actor Mark Anthony Fernandez got the COVID-19 vaccine even though he is a non-priority individual, under the Parañaque City government’s vaccination drive.
Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez earlier explained that Fernandez has comorbidities that qualified him to be prioritized in the government’s COVID-19 priority list.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered the Department of Health to investigate the COVID-19 vaccination of an actor, who was believed to be Fernandez.