Medical Frontliners Express Dismay As Gov’t “Disregarded Protocols”
EARLY VACCINATIONS – Medical frontliners stressed that they should be given priority when it comes to the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program.
Earlier, there were reports that the PSG and AFP had early vaccinations against COVID-19, despite the lack of approval from the FDA. Furthermore, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said there was one Cabinet member who had been inoculated against the virus.
As a response to this issue, Filipino Nurses United Secretary-General Jocelyn Andamo said:
“It is sad to know that some people were vaccinated already, yet they have been telling before that medical frontliners should be the first to receive the vaccine”
Additionally, the Alliance of Health Wokers President Robert Mendoza insisted that any vaccine must be approved by the FDA and phase 3 trials. Furthermore, the vaccine must be deemed “safe and effective”.
Previously, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the Filipino people should accept the fact that people had already been vaccinated. Moreover, Roque and Año had emphasized there was nothing illegal with having the AFP and PSG vaccinated.
Both explained that it would only be illegal if people sell and distribute the vaccine without FDA approval.
However, the Alliance of Health Workers President said that this act “shows the government’s utter disregard of related protocols, laws, and regulatory process”. According to an article from CNN, Mendoza stressed that the government should be the first ones to follow the law.
Likewise, The Coalition for People’s Right to Health said that the heath process was now being politicized. As per the article, the coalition said:
Wider testing and vaccination must be for the good of all, not VIPs and cronies. These incidents betray the reality that health leaders have not been in charge of what is truly a public health crisis