The vaccination for the A4 priority groups has started on August 26 at Villareal Stadium, Roxas City, with Capiz Governor Esteban Evan Contreras leading the launch.
“We’re hoping that with this, we can balance the health and economic concerns,” said Contreras, who earlier asked the approval from the National Task Force against COVID-19 to commence the vaccination of essential workers in the province.
The A4 Priority Group includes personnel of commuter transport and logistics;vendors in public and private and wet market; and frontline workers in groceries, supermarkets and delivery services, food retail, financial services, hotels and accommodation establishments, media, basic education as well as higher education institutions and agencies, law and justice, security and social protection sectors.
It also consists of workers in manufacturing for food, beverage, medical and pharmaceutical products; religious leaders regardless of denomination; and security guards or personnel assigned in the establishments, offices, agencies, and organizations identified in the list of priority industry/sectors.
Provincial Health Officer Alex Nolasco said mobile vaccination is the best way to reach the unvaccinated population in the remote areas of the province.
The rollout of the shots for A4 comes as the Provincial Health Office (PHO) marked over 100,000 vaccinees or 18.77 percent of its 544,670 eligible target population received the first dose of the vaccine as of Aug. 25.
The vaccination of frontline healthcare workers, senior citizens, and adults with comorbidity, along with the A4 group members, will still continue towards the accomplishment of the targeted coverage.
“May mga back logs lang or delays sa mga fully vaccinated because there are minimum intervals on vaccines. Like in AstraZeneca, 14 weeks; Pfizer, 21 days and Sinovac and Moderna 28 days,” Nolasco said. (with reports from PIA-Capiz)
