The mass vaccination of Priority Group A4, or the so-called economic frontliners started today, June 7, 2021, with the symbolic vaccination of 50 workers from various sectors at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
“Ang okasyon na ito ang hudyat ng simula ng muling pagbangon ng Pilipinas, dahil ang mababakunahan ngayong araw ay ang ating A4 workforce. … Dahil dito, ang pagbabakuna sa A4 ay masasabi nating game changer sa ating laban sa COVID-19,” said Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr, who joined fellow Cabinet members in the said event.
With the expected increase in the country’s vaccine supply this June, the Inter-Agency Task Force has agreed to expand the list of individuals for priority vaccination to the Priority Group A4 to include those who work outside their homes and have high levels of interaction with the public.
“We can now see the light at the end of the tunnel as the vaccine shipments have arrived, have started to arrive in bulk. This development is the result of our national government’s aggressive efforts to secure sufficient doses from the different manufacturers,” said President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in a taped message for the event.
President Duterte also reminded the public to continue to adhere to the minimum public health standards. “To my dear kababayans, let us keep in mind that vaccination is the only way forward for us to overcome this pandemic, but we must also remember that getting vaccinated is not the only solution. We must continue to observe minimum health standards by wearing a mask, washing our hands, and observing social distancing,” said President Duterte.
To help jumpstart the safe reopening of the economy, A4 vaccination will start in areas with dense economic activity and high risk of exposure to COVID-19. Therefore, priority will be given to the National Capital Region (NCR) plus 8 areas composed of Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.
With the local government units (LGUs) playing a big part in the mass vaccination program, LGU chiefs of the NCR plus 8 areas, together with the private sector, pledged their commitment to provide a quick and efficient mass rollout of the vaccination program for A4 workers.
The NCR plus 8 chiefs were joined by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the League of Provinces of the Philippines. The private sector was represented by the Task Force T3, led by Presidential Adviser Joey Concepcion.
Meanwhile, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography also reminded LGUs to continue the prioritization of A1 to A3 Priority Groups as vaccination for A4 starts. “We should exert all efforts to continuously prioritize A1, A2, and A3 priority groups by establishing special lanes or special vaccination centers for them,” said Sen. Go, via a taped message.
Also joining the event were Cabinet Secretaries Ramon Lopez, Silvestre Bello III, Carlito Galvez Jr, Vivencio Dizon, and Francisco Duque III who administered the first dose of vaccine for A4 to celebrity host Iya Villania Arellano.
The A4 workers who were inoculated today as part of the event was composed of the following: BPO employees, travel guides, tricycle drivers, household staff, SM Supermalls personnel, representatives from the entertainment sector, drivers, teachers, government workers, fastfood crew workers, riders, and reporters from the Malacanang Press Corps, representing the frontline media workers. ### OPS-PCOO
