MANILA — Authorities have approved priority sub-groups for the government's COVID-19 vaccination drive, which could start this February, Malacañang said on Friday.

The Interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (iNITAG) adopted the following priority population groups for vaccination, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

• A1: Frontline workers in health facilities both national and local, private and public, health professionals and non-professionals like students, nursing aides, janitors, barangay health workers, etc
• A2: Senior citizens aged 60 years old and above
• A3: Persons with comorbidities not otherwise included in the preceding categories
• A4: Frontline personnel in essential sectors including uniformed personnel and those in working sectors identified by the IATF as essential during ECQ
• A5: Indigent population not otherwise included in the preceding categories
• B1: Teachers, Social Workers
• B2: Other Government Workers
• B3: Other essential workers
• B4: Socio-demographic groups at significantly higher risk other than senior citizens and indigenous people
• B5: Overseas Filipino Workers
• B6: Other Remaining Workforce
• C: Rest of the Filipino population not otherwise included in the above groups

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The selection of priority areas for the inoculation is based on active coronavirus infections, attack rate per 100,000 population, population density, readiness of local governments, and cold chain facilities, Roque said in a public briefing.

The first batch of the COVID-19 vaccines from US-based Pfizer, which the Philippines is expected to receive this month, will go to health workers in the facilities below, in the following order, he said.

• COVID-19 dedicated hospitals
• COVID-19 referral hospitals
• Other hospitals of the health department
• Local government hospitals
• Hospitals for uniformed personnel
• Private hospitals

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The Philippines aims to inoculate two-thirds of its population or around 70 million people against the novel coronavirus this year. It has lagged behind some of its regional peers in launching its vaccination drive.

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The country has over 531,000 coronavirus infections, among the highest in Asia.

Video courtesy of PTV