Gov't makes OFWs, health workers' family members top priority in COVID-19 vaccination program

The government has elevated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) due for deployment in the next four months, as well as the immediate family members of health workers, to top priority in the COVID-19 vaccination program, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Friday.

Roque said that on top of amending the A1 category which previously included only health workers/medical frontliners and local officials, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases also simplified the A4 category to include all government and private sector workers, informal sector workers, and those who work in private households who need to physically report to work.

"Mas uunahin iyong [The first ones will be] 40 to 59 years old then 18 to 39 years old," Roque said.

"We improved the A4 category by making it simple," he added.

Roque said vaccination of A4 individuals will be prioritized in the National Capital Region (NCR), Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao.

Roque, however, noted that foreigners residing in the country, including the Chinese citizens, are yet to be included in the country's vaccination program.

"We don't know of Chinese citizens getting vaccinated here. Possibly, there are Filipino Chinese [who got inoculated]," Roque said.

"The IATF would still need to draft a policy including the foreigners, and that will come when the bulk of our COVID-19 supply arrives," Roque said.

"But since we have limited supply, our priority is A1, A2, A3 then A4 and A5," Roque added.

A1 is composed of health workers, local government officials, Filipinos to be deployed for work overseas for the next four months and immediate families of health workers.

A2 are the senior citizens or elderly aged 60 years old and above, while A3 are persons with comorbidities.

A4 covers workers in the government and private sector, as well as those in the informal sector and those working in private households required to physically report to work.

A5 consists of poor and indigent population. — KBK/RSJ, GMA News