Galvez suggests vaccinating workers, indigents by end-May using COVID-19 jabs from COVAX

To speed up the vaccine rollout and to use millions of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday suggested to President Rodrigo Duterte the start of the inoculation of priority workers and the indigent population by the end of May.

“Ito po ang gusto namin i-suggest sa inyo dahil marami sa business sector at tsaka po sa COVAX na dapat buksan na natin ang A4 at A5. Dapat ang bakuna unahin ang mahihirap,” Galvez said in a taped public briefing aired Tuesday morning.

(As recommended by the business sector and the COVAX Facility, we want to suggest the opening of the vaccination of the Filipinos under the A4 and A5 categories. We should prioritize the poor.)

Galvez explained anew that the COVAX Facility is meant to ensure that the poor has equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

“Considering na gusto naatin mapabilis talaga (ang rollout), kumbaga lalakihan natin ang embudo,” Galvez said.

“Sa Senate ganoon din ang [recommendation] nilang mag-open na ang A4 at A5 para mawala ang agam-agam na ang AstraZeneca ay mag-eexpire,” he added.

(The Senate likewise gave that recommendation to open up the vaccination program to A4 and A5 to assure that the AstraZeneca vaccines will be used before they expire.)

Citing National Economic Development Authority’s data, Galvez said there are 12.8 million Filipinos workers under the A4 category and 16 million indigent Filipinos under the A5 category.

“Kung makita natin ang recommendation ng business sector, karamihan ng Gabinete at sa Senate e, ibukas na po natin as soon as possible time. Puwede na tayo mag-start sa mahihirap para ang mga bakuna sa COVAX ay mabigyan ang mahihirap,” he said.

(With the recommendations from the business sector and the majority of the members of the Cabinet and the Senate, we should open up the vaccination for the poor as soon as possible time in order to give them the COVID-19 jabs from COVAX).

Responding to Galvez’s presentation, Duterte said the inoculation of the vulnerable sector was one of his early proposals.

“As a matter of fact your program is suit to my request early on sa pag-umpisa na ito unahin, ang mahihirap. If there is a difficulty in getting them out of their respective communities kayo na ang papasok doon,” Duterte said.

Duterte called for the prioritization of the poor in the government's COVID-19 vaccination program, saying such is the government's sacred duty.

"This is really for the poor, because if they get sick, they do not have the money. Let us be real about it," Duterte said.

He also told Galvez to do lectures in the communities on the advantages of getting COVID-19 vaccines and assure the Filipinos that these vaccines have passed several medical evaluations.

Duterte added that there should be no special requests in choosing the COVID-19 brands.

“It leaves bad taste in the mouth… Karamihan 'yung meron naghihintay ng US—Moderna, Pfizer. Ang e sabi ko ‘di mangyari ‘yan… Kung ano nasa harap ninyo kesyo milyonaryo ka o mahirap ka, 'yun ang iyo, 'di ka mamili,” he said.

Duterte told Galvez to make the distribution “with blind eye on the brand.”

“‘Wag niyo na silipin kung Moderna, Pfizer, or AstraZeneca because I won’t allow it. Mahirap ka man o mayaman kung gusto mo pumunta ka sa vaccination sites. If you are there in the community, go there and have yourself vaccinated with any of the vaccines available. They are all potent, they are all effective. So there is no reason to be choosy about it,” Duterte added.

So far, the government has already inoculated over three million Filipinos.

Currently, the government is inoculating medical frontliners, senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, and workers who are considered as economic frontliners. —KG, GMA News