MANILA – Mayors and governors who are in critical and high-risk areas for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are now allowed to get COVID-19 vaccine.
National Task Force against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vivencio Dizon said, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the request to include mayors and governors in the A1 priority list.
“The League of Provinces requested the President to consider having all governors and all local chief executives or mayors be considered as frontliners under category A1 to be allowed to be vaccinated. This request was endorsed by the President to the IATF and the IATF yesterday decided to initially allow Mayors and Governors in high risk and critical areas,” Dizon said on Sunday.
Mayors, governors, and barangay captains were previously under A4 group along with frontline personnel in essential sectors.
If the government prioritization program is to be followed, A4 will only receive COVID-19 vaccines after frontline health workers (A1), indigent senior citizens (A2), and the remaining senior citizens and persons with comorbidities (A3).
Dizon added that mayors and governors are considered as “very essential frontliners” for leading the fight against COVID.
“Mahalagang mabakunahan ang mga lokal na opisyal dahil sa kanilang papel sa patuloy na laban sa COVID-19,” Dizon said. “Kumbaga sa giyera, sila ang commander natin sa frontlines. Talagang kailangang kailangan nila maprotektahan.”/PN
