Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday the government’s COVID-19 vaccination plan would prioritize the elderly and other “vulnerable” individuals.
“Meron na po talaga tayong in place na vaccination plan. Sanay na naman tayo magbigay ng bakuna sa ating kababayayan so meron na tayong nabuong plano kung paano talaga i-implement ang vaccination as soon as it is available,” Roque said in an interview with Unang Hirit.
(We already have a vaccination plan in place. We are trained to give vaccines to our countrymen. We already created a plan on how to implement the vaccination as soon as it is available.)
However, Roque noted that due to the high demand for the vaccine worldwide, the COVID-19 vaccine could not be made available for all, at least at first.
“You can imagine, dahil ito’y kinakailangan ng buong daigdig ay hindi naman kinakailangan na biglaan magkaroon tayo ng vaccine for all,” he said.
(You can imagine, since the whole world needs the vaccine, it is not necessary that we suddenly have a vaccine for all.)
“Dun sa ating plano merong mga uunahin. Siguro uunahin particularly yung mga vulnerable. Alam naman natin kung sino ang mga vulnerable, yung matatanda pati na rin po yung tinatawag na may comorbidity,” Roque added.
(We will prioritize some in our plan. Maybe put the vulnerable first. We know who the vulnerable are, the elderly, as well as the so-called comorbidity.)
COVID-19 vaccination plan
The spokesperson also said the government could shoulder the payment for the vaccine for those who cannot afford it.
“Ang mangyayari niyan, those who can afford ay magbabayad, those who cannot afford, gobyerno ang magbabayad,” he said.
(Those who can afford will pay, those who cannot afford, the government will pay for them.)
Roque, who also authored the Universal Healthcare Law said PhilHealth may also cover the COVID-19 vaccine.
A former lawmaker who authored the Universal Healthcare Law, Roque said PhilHealth may also cover the vaccine.
President Rodrigo Duterte reported to Congress that the Department of Science and Technology was coordinating with six Chinese and Taiwanese research groups and organizations for possible COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.