Celebrating the National Labor Day meaningfully, a Symbolic Vaccination Roll-out, initiated by the Department of Labor and Employment-Region 1 (DOLE-RO1) in partnership with the Department of Health Center for Health Development-1 (DOH CHD-1), was conducted at the City Health Office, San Fernando City, La Union on 1 May 2021.The event was observed to honor what the working class of the society stand for and the current health crisis that is challenging the employment sector. It also highlighted the right of minimum wage earners’ on-the-job protection, in this case, their protection and safety from Covid-19 diseases.
Ten (10) randomly selected security guards from different private and government offices in the City of San Fernando were pre-identified to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine (Sinovac).
“Sa trabaho po namin bilang security guard, lagi kami na-eexpose araw-araw sa maraming tao kaya mahalaga na nababakunahan para sa proteksyon laban sa COVID-19, para narin sa proteksyon ng pamilya ko, mga kabarangay, at buong mamamayan,” Pagibig security guard Sonny C. Macanas shared.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has seen the importance of the minimum wage workers to be vaccinated as they are essential frontline workers too. The Symbolic Vaccination Roll-out activity was a mandate from the National Task Force Against COVID-19 for all Regional Vaccination Operations Centers (RVOC) to operationalize the directives of the IATF to administer 5,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Priority Group A-4 minimum wage earners and overseas foreign workers within NCR, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite, and on top of the 5,000 doses, additional 10 doses were allocated per remaining regions on Labor Day, as requested by DOLE.
In compliance to the directives given, the RVOC and the City Health Office of the City of San Fernando has identified the SFC-CHO to be the venue for the symbolic vaccination event. DOLE on the other hand sent selected priority A-4 vaccine recipients (10 security guards) to the activity.
“We chose the security guards because masarado o hindi ang mga tindahan may security guards na nagbabantay, nageensure na may mga health protocol compliance para sa mga pumapasok sa mga establishments, and even then ang mga empleyado na nagtatrabaho sa mga establishments,” DOLE Regional Director Evelyn R. Ramos shared. Director Ramos also acknowledged that the vaccination implemented on Labor day is a sign that the government gives importance to the vaccination of essential frontline workers.
DOLE continues to do coordination with DOH CHD-1 not only with the vaccination but also in the implementation of the health protocol by continuously doing its inspection to ensure that establishments are complying with the health and safety protocol.
Director Ramos further reiterates for the minimum wage earners to wait for the vaccine and respect the prioritization protocol as to will get vaccinated first. The vaccination is just one of the tools for to be safe, so it is still important to continue to observe the other health protocols like the wearing of facemasks and face shield, social distancing, at frequent washing of hands.
Still, the IATF, DOLE, and DOH, through its Regional Vaccination Operations Center, uphold the guidelines in the prioritization of eligible population who will receive the COVID-19 vaccines. Presently, the Region is administering the vaccines to priority groups A-1and A-2, respectively.
