By Christine Fabro
Three months after the Philippines formally rolled out its vaccination program, workers from the private sector and the government – the so-called “economic frontliners” – are finally getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
The vaccination rollout for priority group A4, which consists of private, informal, and government sector workers, began in June this year.
As of June 16, 152,964 individuals in A4 have been inoculated with at least the first dose of vaccine against COVID-19. Of these, 7,021 have been fully vaccinated.
Who belongs to priority group A4?
Aside from workers from the private and government sector, informal sector workers also belong to the A4, namely the sari-sari store owners, wet and dry market stall owners, and household workers that must physically report to the office or assigned to work on-field.
The distribution and administration of vaccines to priority group A4 shall be divided into two phases to give priority to areas that are prone to resurgence of COVID-19 cases, depending on the supply of vaccines, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
Phase 1 is composed of areas of concern – NCR Plus 8, namely the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.
Those eligible under the A4 priority group in the rest of the country are covered under Phase 2.
The vaccination shall proceed in accordance with the National Vaccination and Deployment Plan and shall be instituted simultaneously and non-sequentially across A4 priority groups. In situations where there is a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines, priority may be given to eligible priority group A4 workers who are 40-59 years old, then to those 18-39 years old.
What are the requirements for vaccine registration under priority group A4?
Individuals under the A4 category shall present supporting documents depending on their line of work or industry. These include:
- Company ID
- Contract or permit
- Certificate of eligibility (employment, deployment, assignment)
- Other supporting documents such as business permit or community tax certificate
Register and get vaccinated
If you are working for a private sector or public organization, register at your establishment, agency, or organization (EAOs).
On the other hand, if you are self-employed or a household worker, register at the local government unit (LGU) of your residence or place of work.
All EAOs, whether private or public, will be submitting the necessary information to their respective LGUs in compliance with the minimum requirements set by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), subject to the Data Privacy Act of 2012. By then, you can get vaccinated whether at the vaccination site or EAO-LGU coordinated Offsite Vaccination Site (e.g. hospitals, place of work, etc.). – jlo
