Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is targeting to release this month the indemnification package for vaccine recipients who suffer serious side effects or even die after a COVID-19 vaccination, PhilHealth Vice President for Corp. Affairs Shirley Domingo said Friday.
“Approved na po ito. May guidelines ito. Iyong inaayos lang po natin ay iyong funding po nito…Siguro within a month or lesser mare-release na natin. Basta within this month,” Domingo told a briefing.
[Translation: This has already been approved and has guidelines. What we are finalizing is the funding. Maybe within a month or sooner, we will release this. For sure, within this month.]
“Kung na-vaccinate sila [against] COVID-19 at nagkaroon sila ng serious adverse event ibig sabihin may matinding side effect, or kung mahospitalize sila or huwag naman sana, pero kung nabawian ng buhay dahil diyan. Lahat po ito pasok doon sa benefit na iyon,” she said.
[Translation: Covered by this benefit are those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 but had a serious adverse event such as experiencing severe side effects, getting hospitalized, or dying.]
The COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in February, allocated ₱500 million for the COVID-19 National Vaccine Immunity Fund.
The country has inoculated over 2 million Filipinos since it began rolling out the COVID-19 immunization program on March 1, according to data from the National Task Force Against COVID-19.
The government aims to protect against COVID-19 up to 70 million Filipinos this year to achieve herd immunity.
