Getting the vaccine for foreigners in the Philippines being looked at.

[sonjack2847]

Well it looks like expats will get the jab here but it has not been stated how much it will cost.

COVID knows no nationality: IATF to craft vaccination policy of foreigners in PH
Published February 22, 2021, 6:27 PM

by Genalyn Kabiling

The government pandemic task force is expected to craft a policy on the vaccination of foreigners staying in the country against the new coronavirus disease.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque
According to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, it is important to have a policy on the vaccination of all people in the country for protection against the infectious disease. He said the coronavirus could affect anybody, adding it knows no ethnicity or nationality.

“Wala pa po tayong ganiyang polisiya pero inaasahan ko po na bubuo rin po ng ganiyang polisiya ang IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) kasi nga po iyong anyo ng COVID ay wala namang kinikilala iyan na nasyonalidad o kasarian o kulay ‘no. Pare-pareho po basta tao ay hinahawa niya (We don’t have a policy on that yet but I expect the IATF will craft such policy because COVID knows no nationality, gender or color. Any person can be infected),” Roque said during a televised press briefing Monday, Feb. 22 when asked if the government will give free vaccines to foreigners in the country.

“So importante rin po na magkaroon talaga ng polisiya na lahat ng tao sa Pilipinas ay mabigyan po ng bakuna (It is important to really have a policy in which all people in the Philippines must be given vaccines),” he said.

Roque made the statement ahead of the highly anticipated arrival of the first batch of coronavirus vaccines in the country.

The country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the vaccines developed by China’s Sinovac for emergency use for healthy persons aged 18 to 59 in the country. The FDA approval paves the way for the delivery of 600,000 doses donated by China in the coming days.
China earlier opted to wait for the local regulatory approval before sending the vaccines to the Philippines.

With COVID-19 vaccine orders placed with various manufacturers, the government aims to vaccinate up to 70 million people this year to help attain herd immunity. The government’s priority beneficiaries include frontline health workers, senior citizens, poor and vulnerable citizens, and economic frontliners.

From the Manila Bulletin.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/22/covid-knows-no-nationality-iatf-to-craft-vaccination-policy-of-foreigners-in-ph/?fbclid=IwAR1nPHvCPWmpgGHJILO_q8uOqoR79GhDKFH8Psfpt6WexeM2tZELd_KUfTM

 

Edited February 25, 2021 by Jollygoodfellow

[Tommy T.]

6 minutes ago, sonjack2847 said:

Well it looks like expats will get the jab here but it has not been stated how much it will cost.

I maintain cautious optimism.

[Mike J]

The for profit hospitals will be available for expat vaccination as long as the government does not interfere with their ability to procure and provide the service.  I hope they will just let the system work as it should.  

[JJReyes]

One possibility is the 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine donated by China will available free of charge for medical personnel, military, government employees, and the general public based on age.  The initial shipment of 100,000 doses from Pfizer could be fee-based through private clinics and hospitals.  Future shipments of vaccines more likely will be sourced through COVAC which operates something like a crowd funding agency.  Wealthy nations contribute money or commit vaccine supplies.  (Gates Foundations gave a substantial amount.)  COVAC then charges countries based on their ability to purchase or provide the vaccines for free.  The US government's initial contribution is $2 billion.  This could be in the form of US manufactured vaccines because the current government order is one billion doses, more than what's needed for its population.

[Queenie O.]

I'm not worried about the cost. I don't think that it would be an unreasonable amount. I'm just glad to hear that we're now included. 

Now let's hope that vaccines will start to arrive ASAP!

Thanks Sonjack for finding this article! 

[scott h]

2 hours ago, Mike J said:

The for profit hospitals will be available for expat vaccination as long as the government does not interfere with their ability to procure and provide the service.

The way I read it, all vaccines must be bought "through" government coordination at this time. LGU's and Businesses must get gov permission to talk to manufacturers. 

2 hours ago, sonjack2847 said:

foreigners staying in the country

I wonder what the exact status would be of 13A holders. Technically we are "legal residents". Our city is buying some of the Astra jab and they are taking preregistration right now. I will try and register when they swing through here and report back

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, Queenie O. said:

I'm not worried about the cost. I don't think that it would be an unreasonable amount. I'm just glad to hear that we're now included. 

 

I agree - if the cost is prohibitive then people will simply not get it thus defeating the principal of nobody is safe until everybody is safe.

[sonjack2847]

On 2/25/2021 at 9:16 AM, Queenie O. said:

I'm not worried about the cost. I don't think that it would be an unreasonable amount. I'm just glad to hear that we're now included. 

Now let's hope that vaccines will start to arrive ASAP!

Thanks Sonjack for finding this article! 

It`s not so much the cost as the fact that we are usually charged more than locals which irks me. 

[Queenie O.]

2 hours ago, sonjack2847 said:

It`s not so much the cost as the fact that we are usually charged more than locals which irks me. 

Well, I guess it will be more than for free

[Freebie]

On 2/25/2021 at 9:15 AM, JJReyes said:

One possibility is the 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine donated by China will available free of charge for medical personnel, military, government employees, and the general public based on age. 

Army has earmarked 100,000 of these, . 20% going to the soldiers or maybe its the over abundance of Generals.