Special Report: Government prepares for vaccine rollout

(This is the third part of a special report by SunStar Philippines on efforts to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic through vaccination.)

NEARLY 24.7 million Filipinos, or about 23 percent of the population, will receive the free vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) first.

Among them are the frontline health workers, senior citizens, indigent population and the uniformed personnel, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said.

The priority list, or Group A, includes:

• 1,762,994 frontline health workers in both public and private hospitals, and barangay health workers;
• 3,789,874 indigent senior citizens;
• 5,678,544 remaining senior citizens;
• 12,911,193 indigent population; and
• 525,523 uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection and Cafgu.

• National Capital Region
• Calabarzon (IV-A)
• Central Luzon (III)
• Central Visayas (VII)
• Ilocos (I)
• Western Visayas (VI)
• Bicol (V)
• Davao (XI)
• Northern Mindanao (X)
• Zamboanga Peninsula (IX)
• Soccsksargen (XII)
• Eastern Visayas (VIII)
• Cagayan Valley (II)
• Bangsamoro Autonomous Region
• Mimaropa (IV-B)
• Caraga Administrative Region
• Cordillera Administrative Region

• 2 physician/nurse/midwife for screening and assessment;
• 1 health educator (volunteer teacher, social worker, medical student);
• 1 vaccinator (physician/nurse/midwife); and
• 2 documenters and vital signs taker (midwife/barangay health worker/ health staff or volunteer teacher, social worker, medical student).