The Department of Health has clarified vaccinees will not be deprived of their right to know which brand of Covid-19 vaccine will be injected on them as this will still be disclosed in their vaccination cards.
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Department of Health to withhold announcing the brand of vaccine available at vaccination sites to prevent people from flocking at these sites once they learn the brand even if they are not yet scheduled to receive their shots.
Among the vaccines granted an emergency use authorization (EUA), those manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and Gamaleya Institute (Sputnik V) showed a high acceptance rate as shown by people who flocked the vaccination sites.
However, the DOH said all vaccines granted EUA are effective in preventing severe illness and deaths.
The agency also reiterated the best vaccine are those already available.
“Not announcing what brand will be available in inoculation sites will not take away the right of individuals to be informed of the vaccine they are taking, as the vaccination process entails on-site vaccine education, proper recording using vaccination cards, and monitoring for adverse events following immunization,” the DOH said.
In the Cordillera and elsewhere in the Philippines, majority of vaccines being administered are Sinovac followed by AstraZeneca. The initial batches of Pfizer and Sputnik from the Covax facility of the World Health Organization were deployed at select areas in the National Capital Region and in Davao.
The DOH reiterated its call for every Filipino to register with their local government unit so they will be included in the masterlist of vaccinees.
As of May 19, the government has inoculated more than two million Filipinos belonging to priority groups A1 to A3. The country is set to begin the vaccination of economic frontliners and indigent population in the NCR plus on June 8.
In the Cordillera, the Regional Vaccination Operations Center has reported that 52,704 individuals belonging in the A1, A2, and A3 categories have already been vaccinated.
Abra has the highest vaccine utilization rate in the region at 93.51, followed by Benguet with 71.77 percent; Baguio, 71.57 percent; Apayao, 62.16 percent; Mountain Province, 60.63 percent; Kalinga, 59.88 percent; and Ifugao, 48.27 percent.
Records showed that 38,117 received Sinovac and 14,587 got AstraZeneca.
A1 had 34,574 vaccinees, 11,711 were senior citizens, and 6,409 belonged to the A3 category.
Around 10 individuals from the A4 category (other frontliners in essential sectors) were also vaccinated during the ceremonial vaccination of daily wage earners and overseas Filipino workers on May 1.
The DOH has allotted 105,538 doses to the Cordillera. – Rimaliza A. Opiña with reports from PNA
