The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management on Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved the list of sectors that are permitted to be vaccinated under the government’s fourth priority group (A4), in response to the COVID-19 vaccination program.
As stated by the implementation plan’s prioritization framework, Group A4 will be vaccinated following the medical frontliners (A1), senior citizens (A2), and people with comorbidities (A3).
The list of Group A4 now includes frontliners in the news media, personnel in the basic education field, food retail and services, public utility workers, OFWs, and other government agencies and workers.
(optional) The complete list of the A4 group, are as follows:
Commuter transport (land, air, and sea), including logistics
Public and private wet and dry market vendors
Frontline workers in groceries, supermarkets, delivery services
Workers in manufacturing for food, beverage, medical and pharmaceutical products
Frontline workers in food retail, including food service delivery
Frontline workers in private and government financial services
Frontline workers in hotels and accommodation establishments
Priests, rabbis, imams, and other religious leaders
Security guards/ personnel assigned in offices, agencies, and organizations identified in the list of priority industries/sectors
Frontline workers in private and government news media
Customer-facing personnel of telecoms, cable and internet service providers, electricity distribution and water distribution utilities
Frontline personnel in basic education and higher education institutions and agencies
Overseas Filipino workers, including those scheduled for deployment within two months
Frontline workers in law/justice, security, and social protection sectors
Frontline government workers engaged in the operations of government transport system, quarantine inspection
Worker safety inspection and other COVID-19 response activities
Frontline government workers in charge of tax collection, assessment of businesses for incentives, election, national ID, data collection personnel
Diplomatic community and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) personnel in consular operations
Department of Public Works and Highways personnel in charge of monitoring government infrastructure projects
The Department of Health (DOH), stated that the listing was founded on the National Economic and Development Authority's research of what distinguishes an "essential worker.”
According to Health Undersecretary, Maria Rosario Vergeire, these workers are listed as essential workers because they continued to operate and provide service despite the enforcement of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). Vergeire also noted that the vaccine protocols and timetable still have to be finalized, but once the supply stabilizes, it may be carried along with the vaccination of A2 and A3.
To avoid delays, once the A4 group's deployment starts, the Health Department has previously instructed companies and organizations to begin issuing Certificates of A4 Eligibility.
Moreover, Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary, Rosemarie Edillon, said that the vaccination of the A4 category could begin as early as May, but could also be delayed until June or July, depending on global production and vaccine accessibility in the Philippines.
As of April 13, Wednesday, a total of 1,255,716 doses had been given. However, only 162,065 people were completely vaccinated against COVID-19 since getting their second doses.
Up to 70 million people are expected to be vaccinated by the government.
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