Health workers, seniors lament getting overtaken by PSG for vaccine priority

Health workers and senior citizens on Tuesday lamented getting overtaken by members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine priority list, according to Ivan Mayrina’s report on “24 Oras.”

This was after President Rodrigo Duterte announced that some members of the military have already received the vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinopharm.

“Dapat lang na priority ang mga health workers at mga nurses kasi kami ang naka-expose sa matinding risk, nakataya ‘yung buhay namin, kami ang nakaharap sa mga pasyente 24/7,” said Jocelyn Andamo of Filipino Nurses United.

“Pero dapat ay isunod na ‘yung mga senior citizen dahil kailangan na kailangan nila, eh, dahil sabi nila madali kapitan ng sakit, eh,” a senior said.

Frontline health workers, and senior citizens top the official priority list for the COVID-19 vaccine, with uniformed personnel coming in at number five.

Meanwhile, Malacañang and the Department of Health (DOH) said that the priority list was still the same, adding that government funds were not used on the vaccines given to the PSG.

“Basta ang ginamit kaban na galing sa taong bayan, susundin natin ‘yung priyoridad na inanunsyo na natin. Simula po ‘yan ‘yung mga mahihirap, ‘yung mga frontliners, mga kasundaluhan, at ‘yung mga kapulisan,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

“Unang-una, doon sa ating mga hierarchy of priorities nandoon naman talaga ang kasundaluhan. Pero ito po hindi po ito ginastusan ng pangpubilkong pondo, so wala pong problema diyan,” he added.

This sentiment was echoed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

“The list of prioritized groups is quite clear. We have the health care workers, the indigents, the uniformed personnel of AFP and PNP, the senior citizens, and the senior citizens with comorbidities or those with concomitant medical conditions,” he added.

“So malinaw naman, wala namang nalabag doon sa prioritization list,” he added.

Aside from the jumbled prioritization list, experts also expressed concern over the use of an unlicensed vaccine and the seeming disregard of the authority of the Food and Drug Administration.

“We subcribe to the fact, right, na ang FDA natin ang may kakayanan, at may kapasidad, at may kapangyarihan na mag-lisensya ng isang bakuna. Hangga’t wala pa ‘yang bakuna na ‘yan, hindi pa puwedeng gamitin sa public use,” Dr. Lulu Bravo, Philippine Foundation for Vaccination executive director, said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News