Proposal to allocate CoronaVac to 50 ‘influencers’ rejected

MANILA, Philippines — A proposal to allocate Sinovac Biotech’s vaccine to 50 “influencers” consisting of public officials and even movie personalities to boost vaccine confidence was thumbed down by the government’s immunization experts, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he was included in the 50 “influencers” but the interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (iNITAG) stressed that vaccines must be given to medical frontliners first.

“Tatapatin ko po kayo, kami po sa IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] ay nag-propose na 50 na mga bakuna, ireserba para sa tinatawag nating influencers nang mapaigting natin ang ating vaccine confidence. Hindi po sumang-ayon ang iNITAG,” Roque said in an online briefing.

(I will be frank. The IATF proposed that 50 vaccines be reserved for influencers to strengthen vaccine confidence. The iNITAG did not approve this.)

“Marami, kasama ako doon. Mga taong gobyerno, kasama na rin dyan ang Presidente, syempre nandyan ang mga kalihim, may ilang kongresista, senador, merong media personalities pati nga movie personalities meron sana kaya lang hindi po na-approve. Ang emphasis nila, kung anong meron, ibigay muna sa medical frontliners,” he further said when asked who were among those “influencers.”

(Many, including myself. Government officials, the President, Cabinet officials, congressmen, senators, media personalities, and even movie personalities. But it wasn’t approved. They emphasized that the supplies we have should be given first to medical frontliners.)

Roque, however, said those exempted from iNITAG’s disapproval were vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., National Task Force against Covid-19 deputy implementer Vince Dizon, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Benhur Abalos who were all vaccinated on Monday.

Pressed to name some of the 50 “influencers,” Roque said they only asked for an allocation, but did not submit a detailed list with names.

In an event earlier Tuesday, Galvez said President Rodrigo Duterte wanted health workers prioritized over local chief executives due to the limited supply of vaccines. This, after some mayors volunteered to be first in getting the Covid-19 shots in order to increase the public’s faith in vaccines.

Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said his request to be vaccinated with the Sinovac jab was rejected by the national government to allow health workers to receive it first.

KGA