Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. was ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to prioritize inoculating Overseas Filipino Workers and seafarers with the use of American-made COVID-19 vaccines because some foreign employers only accept workers with vaccines from Western brands.
“I will make it simple, bigay ko kay Sec Galvez kung paano sila (OFWs and seafarers). They want it group in their province, they can always maybe tawag ang sila magtext sila and confirm ng mga doctor doon, Sec Galvez will give the go signal na bigyan sila ng US-made,” says Pres. Duterte.
Moreover, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque also reported to Duterte about the request fo OFWs and seafarers to receive Western-made vaccine brands and get vaccinated in their provinces to avoid overcrowding in Manila.
To make sure of the deployment of Filipino seafarers, these conditions must be strongly enforced.
- Active seafarers are allowed to get jabs in their provinces before they return to Manila for their deployment.
- For returning seafarers, they will be given their first dose of vaccine after the release of their negative RT/CPR test before their return to their respective provinces.
- Seafarers preferring to get vaccinated with vaccines that are authorized for used in the European Union due to unpredictability of their future deployment. These vaccines include Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson&Johnson and Moderna.
- Seafarers ask 500,000 vaccines to cover all eventualities.
In the Philippines, the vaccination program only covers vaccines like Sinovac which is China-made, and Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines.
“Kung sabihin mo na iyong hindi mabakunahan ng Moderna o Pfizer at nabakunahan ng Sinovac at Sinopharm, there is no distinction or clear evidence na Pfizer at Moderna ay superior to Sinovac at Sinopharm puro bakuna yan. Generic,” says Pres. Duterte.
Source GMA News
