Around the world, COVID-19 vaccines are making headlines on the daily. Here's what you need to know about it in the context of our country today
Vaccination: it's the buzzword of the year.
The world, which is eagerly looking forward to a better, more "normal" tomorrow, has its eyes set on one thing: COVID-19 vaccines. Every day, headlines come out to bring us more and more information on the hows, the whens, and the whys. In other parts of the world—such as in Israel and in the United States—vaccine rollout has been quick and efficient. In the Philippines, the story is a little different. Amid the surge of cases, vaccines have become hard to come by. Only 2.5 million doses have arrived in the Philippines; 525,600 of which were AstraZeneca doses from the COVAX facility, and the rest from Sinovac. As the country waits for more arrivals, local government units (LGUs) wasted no time in delivering these shots to healthcare workers and seniors.
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Local Prioritisation
In the Philippines, most LGUs have been able to vaccinate healthcare workers, who are on the A1 prioritisation, already. Some cities, such as San Juan and Manila, have also begun inoculating A2 (senior citizens) as well. San Juan has been doing this alongside A3 prioritisation, which puts persons with comorbidity on the list of eligible receivers. At the moment, these three subgroups are the only people who are legally allowed to receive doses though hopefully, the A4 (frontline personnel in essential sectors) and A5 (indigent population) will be able to receive theirs soon too.
The B class groups include B1 (teachers and social workers), B2 (government workers), B3 ("other essential workers"), B4 ("socio-demographic groups at significantly higher risk other than senior citizens and indigenous people"), B5 (OFWs), B6 (other remaining workforce). The rest of the Filipino population will be classified in the C group.
The prioritisation may still change. Government officials have been urged to elevate prioritisation for teachers, for example. Following reports of mayors line-jumping, governors and mayors in high-risk areas are also now allowed to get vaccinated.
