Senator Go appeals for ‘appropriate vaccines’ for outbound OFWs

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) must be vaccinated with appropriate and acceptable vaccines in their respective countries of destination before their travel.

This was Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go’s appeal to vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and other officials who are leading the National Vaccination Program.

“May ilan sa kanila na nag-aalinlangan na magpabakuna rito sa atin dahil may ibang mga bansa na naghahanap ng specific na brand, bagama’t napatunayan na namang ligtas at epektibo ang mga bakunang mayroon tayo (Some of them are hesitant to get vaccinated here because other countries are looking for a specific brand, although the vaccines we are using have been proven to be safe and effective),” Go said in a statement on Monday.

He admitted, however, that the government could not convince OFWs to get vaccinated if they are hesitant about the brand’s acceptance in their country of destination.

Go, who is the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, said overseas-bound workers must be given the jabs immediately so they could resume their work and not lose their job.

“They can no longer wait for the time when any brand of vaccine will be compliant in the different countries they go to. So if possible, let’s allocate a vaccine that is suitable for them, that is acceptable in their countries of destination. This must be done in compliance with requirements for vaccines coming from COVAX facility, as well as our own vaccine prioritization order,” he said in Filipino.

The senator also shared that the country is expecting a huge delivery of vaccines next month.

“We expect about 10 million vaccines to arrive this June. So the brands that suit the conditions or needs of each sector, like the OFWs, must be allocated properly,” he added.

OFWs scheduled to be deployed within two months are already included in the A4 category as stated in the latest IATF guidelines.

In the meantime, Go is encouraging the OFWs to support the National Vaccination Program — with an assurance that their concerns are being considered.

According to data from the National Task Force Against Covid-19, a total of 4,097,425 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered either as first or second dose throughout the country as of May 22.

Also, 83.96 percent or 1,303,415 frontline healthcare workers belonging to the A1 category have been vaccinated. A total of 1,032,104 senior citizens have received their first dose of vaccine, while a total of 9,789 frontline personnel in essential sectors both in public and private sectors have received their first dose.

The General Aviation Civil Authority of Saudi Arabia have issued a detailed mechanisms and procedures for institutional quarantine, under the pre-travel procedure sections, item number 5, states that:

Air carriers should alert passengers to the following announcement:
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia requires upon arrival that passengers show a proof of vaccination (vaccine certificates (for (COVID-19) with one of the following vaccines:

• 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech
• 2 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca
• 2 doses of Moderna
• 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen

Vaccine certificates are required to be certified by official health authorities from the country that provided the vaccination for incoming passengers, and the duration between receiving the last dose (the second dose of a two-dose vaccine or the first dose of a single-dose vaccine) should not be less than 14 days before traveling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Vaccine certificates may be verified upon arrival at the checkpoints of the kingdom. Travellers must carry their vaccine certificates at all times during their stay in the kingdom (Or prove of health status through applications and accredited programs in the kingdom). Failure to comply with these regulations makes travellers subject to legal liabilities in addition to being banned from entry to the Kingdom.