VACCINE PRIORITY | Tacloban mayor skips priority listing to take COVID-19 shot ahead of health workers

March 23, 2021 , 08:27 PM

(March 23, 2021) – A city mayor in the central Philippines disregarded the government’s vaccination priority list, jumping ahead of medical workers to take shots against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

On Monday, Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez got his first dose of the Sinovac vaccine despite not being in the priority list drawn up by the health department.

Health workers are prioritized in the inoculation process following the directive of the World Health Organization.

Romualdez said he only wanted to boost people’s confidence on the Chinese doses, a reason commonly used by public officials who skip the priority list.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Romualdez’ office insisted their boss did nothing wrong after receiving heavy criticisms from the public.

“His vaccination with the Sinovac vaccine to encourage more people to avail of Sinovac is consistent with this sworn duty,” the Office of the Mayor said in a Facebook post. “Moreover, he did not bump off anyone in the order of priority to cause disadvantage to health workers since there was a resistance to inoculation with Sinovac and thus, he was qualified to be vaccinated as an LGU official.”

However, this is contrary to what the national government said after some officials like interior and local government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya received a dose without permission from the higher-ups.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said all doses should be given to health workers first before they can proceed to inoculate senior citizens who are in the second tier of the priority list.

Romualdez was neither a health worker nor a senior citizen.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reminded the public only health workers must be given shots because the supply is limited.

Close to 370,000 medical workers have been vaccinated in the last 21 days.

“The DOH further reiterates the plea of the President and calls on officials in the government to await their turns and follow the approved prioritization framework being employed by the national government,” Vergeire said.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Department of Interior and Local Government will investigate the incident.

“Hindi po pupwedeng magpabakuna muna ang hindi mga medical frontliners dahil kung susuway po tayo rito sa order of priority na ito, maaapektuhan po ‘yung ating future deliveries galing sa COVAX facility,” Roque said during his briefing on Tuesday.

Nikka Hao of the DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau said the country should religiously follow the priority listing even if the Chinese vaccines were not part of the vaccine-sharing Covax facility to avoid sanctions from international bodies.

Hao said the head of the medical institution where Romualdez was vaccinated could be held accountable for the lapses in prioritization.

“Not doing such will risk us not getting future supplies not only from the Covax facility but even in our other engagements. It is all part of those arrangements that we have to follow the national vaccine deployment plan and this is really because there is a global supply shortage,” Hao said.

(Beatrice Puente/MM)

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