Vulnerable sectors to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccine once available –DOH

Similar to the conduct of COVID-19 testing, the Philippines will also prioritize the vulnerable sectors for vaccination against the disease once a vaccine is discovered and is made available to the country, the Department of Health said Wednesday.

In a virtual media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that whenever the government makes prioritization, it is always the vulnerable population that goes first.

"That's really the priority of the government. We take care of our vulnerable sector," she said.

"We always prioritize and the vulnerable group of people, lalung-lalo na base sa ebidensya, kung sasabihin na ito ay makakapagbigay ng benepisyo para sa ating gobyerno or sa population with these groups that are to be identified as vulnerable, yun ang uunahin natin," Vergeire added.

This does not mean, however, that those who do not belong to the vulnerable sector will no longer get vaccinated, Vergeire said.

"If we have enough resources, of course we would like to give it to everybody," she said.

"Pero kung saka-sakali, at alam naman natin expectedly na baka hindi ganun kadami ang makuha natin sa pauna na pagbibigay ng bakunang ito, kailangan natin mag-prioritize," she added.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier appealed to the public to take care of themselves until there is an anti-COVID-19 vaccine, which he said may come in January 2021.

“So kung ganoon, ‘wag ka sanang mamatay hanggang January [2021]. Hintayin mo 'yung vaccine. 'Pag tinawag ka ng kamatayan, sabihin mo p— ina ka umalis ka diyan, may hinihintay ako na vaccine. Hindi ko pa panahon mamatay,” Duterte said.

He also wants classes to remain suspended until a vaccine for COVID-19 is made available.

The President has earlier promised to give a P50 million reward to any Filipino any Filipino who can create a vaccine against COVID-19.

As of May 26, a total of 14,669 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Philippines, with 886 deaths and 3,412 recoveries. --KBK, GMA News