Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) – Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello on Tuesday said he agrees with vaccine czar Carlito Galvez’s suggestion to give single-dose COVID-19 vaccines to outbound overseas Filipino workers.
Galvez earlier proposed administering single-dose vaccines to OFWs in case other countries would require certain brands.
“Ang suggestion ni Secretary Galvez, at iyon ang aking sinusuportahan, ay iyong ating mga OFWs, lalong lalo na iyong mga seafarers natin, ay mabigyan ng one dose ng bakuna,” Bello said in a briefing, citing the vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson as an example.
[Translation: The suggestion of Secretary Galvez, which I support, is for OFWs, especially our seafarers, to be given a one-dose COVID-19 shot.]
Bello said this will facilitate the entry of OFWs to their destination and prevent issues of incomplete vaccination. The shots currently available in the country require two doses that need to be given weeks apart.
He noted that in Saudi Arabia, travelers who have received COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, or Johnson & Johnson are exempted from facility-based quarantine and COVID-19 testing upon arrival.
Galvez earlier said the initial batch of Johnson & Johnson doses may arrive in the country in July.
