Vaccination priority groups identified

MANILA, Philippines — Frontline workers including health professionals, students, nursing aides, janitors and barangay health workers in both public and private facilities are first on the list of priority groups for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the country this month.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. announced yesterday that the list of priority population groups for vaccination was presented by the Interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (iNITAG) during a meeting last Thursday.

The first tranche of over 100,000 vaccines from Pfizer BioNTech will be allocated for health care workers assigned in COVID-19 dedicated hospitals and referral hospitals, DOH-owned hospitals, LGU hospitals, hospitals for uniformed services and personnel and private hospitals.

According to DOH COVID-19 Surveillance and Quick Action Unit deputy head Razel Nikka Hao, at least 116,000 frontliners in health facilities in the National Capital Region (NCR) have already signed up for vaccination.

Hao added that hospitals are profiling their health workers to identify those who have comorbidities, allergies and other criteria for exclusion.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has adopted the medical and health personnel in the A1 priority population classification; followed by A2, which refers to senior citizens aged 60 years old and above; and A3 or persons with comorbidities.

Under Resolution 98-A, the IATF also put into the priority list the frontline personnel in essential sectors (A4) that include uniformed personnel and those in working sectors identified by the IATF as essential during ECQ; A5 for the indigent population not included in the preceding categories and B1, which refers to teachers and social workers.?On the second tier, the list is followed by other government workers (B2); other essential workers (B3); socio-demographic groups at significantly higher risk other than senior citizens and indigenous people (B4); overseas Filipino workers (B5) and the remaining workforce (B6).

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat welcomed the inclusion of tourism-related workers in the A4 list, saying this is important.

“It is, indeed, critical for our frontliners, especially those who continue to man our ports of entry and those who serve at accommodation establishments that have been repurposed as quarantine facilities. These personnel have been there at the onset of the pandemic (and have) risked life and limb during the repatriation efforts and up to now, remain at risk with the constant exposure with incoming travelers and guests from all parts of the world,” Puyat said.

After all those in the lists are covered, vaccination will be given to “the rest of the Filipino population not otherwise included in the above groups.”?“The iNITAG also underscored that any specific inclusion and exclusion criteria of each vaccine, as reflected in the respective Emergency Use Authorization of the Food and Drug Administration or recommendations from the Health Technology Assessment Council, shall be considered,” the IATF said.

In choosing areas for sub-prioritization, the IATF said it will be based on COVID-19 burden of disease (current active cases, attack rate per 100,000 population in the past four weeks and population density); and the vaccination site and/or LGU readiness, particularly on its supply chain capability.

The IATF also approved the resolution of the iNITAG and the DOH Technical Advisory Group (DOH-TAG) that deals with prioritization framework for national, local and private distribution; prioritization criteria for Priority Group A1; recommendations on the criteria for allocation of the first batch of Pfizer BioNTech.

The task force also approved the recommendations on health profiling, screening and informed consent in the patient pathway and recommendations on vaccination cards.

The National Task Force, through its Vaccine Cluster Task Group on COVID-19 Immunization Program, is directed to issue the corresponding operational guidelines, for later release. – Sheila Crisostomo, Catherine Talavera, Ghio Ong