DOH advised the public to report those people who will get vaccinated outside the priority list approved by the agency.
According to the list, it is clearly stated that the first ones who will get the vaccines are the frontline workers in health care facilities, senior citizens aged 60 years old and above, and other frontline workers identified by the IATF.
“I advise the public na kung nakakakita po kayo ng taong jumping the line or skipping the line, maari po kayo tumawag sa DOH hotline or even mas malapit ang regional offices niyo po para po tayomakapag-imbestiga at matigilnatin ang ganitongmga practices,” DOH said.
DOH spokeswoman and undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire also said that they released this framework because they want the most exposed people to get vaccinated first. “Kaya po natinginawaitong framework naitodahil gusto munanatinbakunahan ang mga vulnerable natin,” she added.
But despite this advice, there are some local government officials outside the list who got vaccinated. They are Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, T’boli Mayor Dibu Tuan, Sto. Nino, South Cotabato Mayor Sulpicio Villalobos, Legaspi City Mayor Noel Rosal, Bataraza Town Mayor Abraham Ibba, Minglanilla Cebu Mayor Elanito Pena, Alicia City Mayor Victoriano Torres, San Miguel Mayor Virgilio Mendez, and Lila Mayor Arturo Piollo II.
Romualdez immediately responded to this report by sayong that he only did that so his people will not be afraid to the effect of the vaccine. He also said that he considered himself as a frontline worker and this deserves to be injected.
As of 23rd of March 2021 the Department of Health distributed 98.21% of the available vaccine across the country which is about 1,105,500 to 1,125,600 vaccinated individuals.