Health workers still a priority in official rollout of COVID-19 vaccine —Lorenzana

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday vowed that health personnel would be prioritized in the official rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines.

Speaking to reporters after the Rizal Day ceremony in Manila, Lorenzana said the arrival of the first vaccine against COVID-19 to the country is expected in May of next year "at the earliest."

He also said the unregistered vaccine used on Presidential Security Group (PSG) personnel was not enough to cover medical frontliners, who complained about the alleged prioritization of soldiers in the vaccine efforts.

"Ito naman kasing dumating, ilang tao lang sa PSG, wala pang 300 'yan eh, so kung sila ay nagtatampo na 'yung PSG [na-prioritize], 'di naman siguro sapat kahit 500 o 1,000, hindi sapat para mabigyan lahat ng frontliners," said Lorenzana, who chairs the National Task Force on COVID-19.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año had earlier said that the vaccine used on PSG personnel was donated and not part of the rollout program.

Lorenzana said medical frontliners remain a priority in the vaccination program.

"Pag dumating 'yan (vaccines), talagang mauuna 'yung nasa priority ng ating listahan, frontliners, mga medical workers para safe naman sila sa trabaho," he said.

The PSG has since defended its move of inoculating the close-in security of President Rodrigo Duterte, saying that they did this to protect the highest official of the country.

Without identifying the source, PSG chief Brigadier General Jesus Durante said the vaccine was given to them for free.

Food and Drug Administration director general Eric Domingo, for his part, said the vaccine should still be registered even if it is donated.

The agency is already looking into the inoculation of unregistered COVID-19 vaccine to some PSG personnel. —KBK, GMA News