Gov't divides A4 COVID-19 vaccination category into two phases

The government said that the COVID-19 vaccination of A4 individuals will be prioritized in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Pampanga, Batangas, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.

According to a report on "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday, the Inter-Agency Task Force has 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.

The A4 group was formerly focused on economic frontliners and personnel who have high levels of interaction with the public and are needed to ensure security and consumer and worker safety.

The expanded A4 category also prompted the government to prioritize vaccination of those aged 40 to 59 years old.

With this, the government divided the vaccination rollout of the A4 category into two phases:

Phase 1: A4 workers in NCR+8 (Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Pampanga, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao)

• A4.1 - private sector workers who work outside their homes
• A4.2 - employees in government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations and local government units
• A4.3 - informal sector workers and self-employed who work outside their homes and those working in private households

Phase 2: A4 workers outside NCR+8

• A4.1 - private sector workers who work outside their homes
• A4.2 - employees in government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations and local government units
• A4.3 - informal sector workers and self-employed who work outside their homes and those working in private households

Earlier, Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19, said vaccinating 28 million Filipinos under the A4 category will be completed by November this year.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. earlier said 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be delivered to the Philippines within June.

The vaccine brands include Sinovac, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Sputnik V. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM, GMA News