Duque to elevate OFWs in COVID vaccine priority list

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III will push for overseas Filipino workers to be given COVID-19 vaccines ahead of teachers, social workers and government employees.

Duque gave the commitment during a hearing of the House overseas workers welfare panel on Friday on prioritizing OFWs for vaccination prior to their deployment to other countries.

“I will recommend to the Inter-Agency Task Force that the OFWs’ status be elevated in our vaccine prioritization framework,” Duque told lawmakers.

Duque said the National Economic Development Authority has agreed with the suggestion to elevate OFWs from the B5 category to the A4 category, and that he will raise the matter in an IATF meeting on Monday.

Under the vaccine prioritization framework, the A4 category prioritizes the vaccination of front-line personnel in essential sectors, including uniformed personnel.

If the IATF approves the recommendation, this means that OFWs will be vaccinated ahead of poor Filipinos in the A-category, as well as teachers, social workers, other government employees, essential workers, and other remaining work force in the B-category.

The government is prioritizing the inoculation of healthcare workers and other workers in medical facilities under the A1 category.

Other sectors in the A-category for vaccine prioritization are: senior citizens under A2; persons with comorbidities under A3; front-line personnel in essential sectors and uniformed personnel under A4; and indigent Filipinos under A5.

Duque said he will also suggest that OFWs serving as healthcare workers should be included in the A1 category, OFWs who are senior citizens in the A2 category, and OFWs with comorbidities in the A3 categories.