Galvez: First dose COVID-19 vaccination of A4 group to be completed by September

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday expressed optimism that all 35.5 million workers belonging to the A4 priority group for COVID-19 vaccination will get their first dose by September this year.

Galvez said around 10 million doses will be delivered in June, 11 million in July, 17 million in August, and 15 million to 20 million in September.

“Nakikita po namin na ‘yung A4, kahit 35.5 million siya, ang amin pong tinataya [ay] by September baka po matapos namin ‘yan,” he said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

(We project that the vaccination of the A4 sector will be completed by September even if there are 35.5 million individuals in that group.)

“Nakikita namin, ‘yung first dose, at least ‘yung first dose, makuha natin ‘yung more or less 30 million [workers]... Ang ano po namin is matapos po namin ng mid-September or October, before ‘yung fourth quarter,” he added.

(We expect that at least the first dose will be administered to more or less 30 million [workers]. Our goal is to complete this by mid-September or October, before the first quarter.)

Some 35.5 million FIlipinos are part of the A4 sector, according to the National Economic and Development Authority.

Galvez explained, however, that some of the individuals who belong to the A4 group may also be part of other priority sectors such as persons with comorbidities (A3) and senior citizens (A2).

The Philippines began vaccinating workers in the A4 group on Monday.

The vaccination of the A4 sector was divided into two phases as workers in Metro Manila and eight other COVID-19 hotspots were given priority.

Over 4.4 million individuals nationwide have been inoculated as of June 6, still far from the government’s target of vaccinating 58 million people in COVID-19 hotspots by November. —KG, GMA News