The Philippines government will be giving overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) vaccine jabs of the brand demanded by their workplace countries, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who said that some countries preferred the Pfizer vaccine.
Bello said Saudi-bound OFWs were temporarily stopped from leaving Manila, after the country imposed a stricter quarantine on OFWs who had taken the Chinese-made vaccines like Sinopharm and Sinovac last month. Since then, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) had been told to give them vaccines required by the employers of OFWs.
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NTF deputy chief Secretary Vivencio Dizon said that in view of the country’s limited supply of Pfizer vaccines, the government would prioritize seafarers or land-based OFWs who were set to depart within four months.
Around 1,200 seafarers were given Pfizer shots on June 17 in an exclusive vaccination drive organized by manning agency Magsaysay Maritime Corp. and the Manila City government.
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Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque encouraged all agencies and seafarers’ unions to coordinate with local government’s initiatives for group vaccinations. (AW)
