Imee: Ilonggo seafarers left out by new vaccine guidelines

Senator Imee Marcos has sought to stop the Department of Health (DOH) from implementing a new requirement in the national vaccination program that will leave Filipino seafarers out in the cold.

“The new DOH rule requires a so-called Certificate of A4 Eligibility that will will exclude certain employees from priority vaccination even if their company’s products or services are considered essential, as food, pharmaceuticals, and transport,” Marcos revealed.

“Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will also be turned away by local government units if they cannot present the said certificate before taking the jab,” Marcos added.

Marcos pointed out that an estimated 300,000 Filipino seafarers, many from Iloilo, remain stranded worldwide due to the pandemic, and will be “among the most disadvantaged OFWs” if the new DOH requirement is approved.

“Our Ilonggo seafarers are among the biggest contributors to the country’s foreign exchange reserves through their remittances, yet also among the most neglected. How can they be vaccinated if they can’t get a certificate of A4 eligibility from their employers until they can sail again?” Marcos asked.

The term A4 refers to the group of vaccinees prioritized after healthcare workers, senior citizens, and people with co-morbidities.

The DOH had earlier sought to prevent the purchase of vaccines by manufacturers of tobacco, alcohol, milk substitutes, and other products deemed in conflict with public health, but President Duterte decided against it after Marcos exposed the attempt contained in an administrative order drafted by the government agency.