The Philippines, on Labor Day, vaccinated 5,000 minimum wage workers and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) against COVID-19 in Manila.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the 5,000 workers vaccinated during the simultaneous symbolic vaccination belong to Priority Group A4 of the National Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) Vaccine Deployment Plan.
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Those under the A4 group are OFWs, transport workers, market vendors, grocery store workers, security guards and religious leaders as well as those frontline workers in the manufacturing, food delivery and financial services.
Bello said 3,000 OFWs and 2,000 local workers received COVID-19 jabs.
“Please do not avoid the vaccine, this vaccine is the best way to fight COVID. Do not waste this opportunity, it’s free, at no charge,” he said.
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The DOLE has prepared a master list of the vaccine recipients to ensure equitable representation of the labor sector in the simultaneous symbolic vaccination.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the vaccination of essential workers under A4 classification to start sometime in May or June.
“This is only a symbolic vaccination. The start of A4 will be sometime in the last week of May to the first week of June,” he said.
The simultaneous vaccination was also held in Lakeshore Hub in Taguig City, and Quezon City Covered Walk along Elliptical Road in Diliman, Quezon City. (RA)
