22 million individuals under A4 group for vaccination — DOH

A city health personnel vaccinates an elderly man in Pampanga’s capital city on May 24. Photo from the City of San Fernando Information Office

MANILA, Philippines — An estimated 22 million essential workers belong to the A4 priority group for COVID-19 vaccination, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reiterated vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.’s announcement that workers from the NCR Plus 8 will be prioritized in the A4 vaccination. She said there are 12 million workers under the priority group for the NCR Plus 8.

“Meron tayong initial estimate na 22 million for the A4 sector. Pero ang ating unang estratehiya, the initiative, we will have a phased implementation,” Vergeire told an online press briefing.

(We have an initial estimate of 22 million for the A4 sector. But our strategy will be a phased implementation.)

The NCR Plus 8 is composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Pampanga, Batangas, Cebu, and Davao.

“As to the stratification according to age, nakalagay  ‘yan doon sa guidelines, and according sa IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) resolution, nakalagay dyan, the workers may be stratified according to age para aligned din tayo sa vulnerability or risk na hinaharap ngayon sa COVID-19,” said Vergeire.

(The stratification according to age is included in the guidelines, and according to the IATF resolution, the workers may be stratified according to age so we can be aligned to the vulnerability or risk we face against COVID-19.)

“Nakasaad dyan na (It was stated there that) they [local government units] can stratify from the oldest until the youngest,” she added.

Malacañang earlier said that local government units may give preference to persons who are 40 to 59 years old for the vaccination of essential workers.

Vergeire said the government’s vaccine cluster will release operational guidelines so that LGUs can know the threshold in shifting to the other age groups for the A4 vaccination.

The government launched on Monday a symbolic vaccination of some 50 economic frontliners from the tourism, transportation, mass media, food service and business process outsourcing industries and sectors at a mall in Pasay City.

JE