DOH: 116,000 health workers in NCR pre-registered for COVID-19 vaccine

At least 116,000 health workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) have pre-registered to get COVID-19 vaccine, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

Dr. Razel Nikka Hao, Deputy of COVID-19 Surveillance and Quick Action Unit, said that the 116,000 health workers is just an initial list and that registration is still ongoing.

“At this point, we are in the process of master listing for group A1 or all of the workers in frontline health care services. Since January this year, we have reached out  health care facilities and local governments, to determine sino magpi-fit sa mga criteria, sino itong mga eligible...we are getting the numbers which will guide our operational plans,” Hao said during an online briefing.

Under the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program, workers in frontline health services are on top of the priority list. The limited COVID-19 vaccine supply, however, will further  trim this list based on the COVID-19 burden of the area, the local government unit’s capacity to store and distribute vaccines, and the exposure and mortality risk of individuals.

Based on government records, the NCR remains the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country with 4,602 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the last two weeks.

Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, for her part, said at least 80,000 Manila city residents pre-registered for Manila’s COVID-19 vaccination program.

“Iyong non-Manila residents po na naka-dorm [sa Manila] kasi frontliners, we suggest na iyong gamitin nilang residential address ay iyong kanilang place of work,” Lacuna said.

Likewise, Lacuna said that the city has also prepared an alternate list in the event that those who are set to receive the COVID-19 back out at the last minute.

The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility, which include that of Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca, is due to arrive in the country within the first quarter and is expected to be deployed in COVID-19 referral hospitals in Metro Manila.

The initial doses will include at least 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and 5.5 million doses from AstraZeneca.

Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines, which were already issued emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are administered in two doses.—AOL, GMA News