Lawmakers听push for national vaccine database听听
OPPOSITION听SENATOR听Leila M. de Lima听has added her voice to growing calls for the executive department to get its act together on setting up a national vaccination database following authentication problems encountered by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), particularly those bound for Hong Kong.听听听
Ms. De Lima said the lack of a central database for the听vaccination听represents an “unforgivable oversight” on the part of听President Rodrigo R. Duterte鈥檚听administration, especially听the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).听听
“The DICT must act on this national vaccine database at once. Our compatriots no longer have livelihood because we were forced to have ECQ听(enhanced community quarantine, the strictest lockdown category)听once again, even our OFWs will have their chance to work taken from them,鈥澨齭he said in English and Filipino in a press release.听听
The Hong Kong government declined to recognize the vaccination cards of inbound OFWs, citing a problem with authentication as it does not come from a single source.听听
Vaccination cards are currently distributed by local government units (LGUs) as the national government has yet to establish a centralized system.听听听
Ms.听 De Lima said听the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment need to “exert all diplomatic efforts to come up with even temporary solutions that would allow our OFWs to return to work.鈥澨听
At the House of Representatives,听Quezon City Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo filed House Bill 9957, which seeks to mandate听the听Health听department听to听issue electronic vaccine cards to fully inoculated Filipinos.听听听
It听will contain details such as basic personal information, COVID-19 vaccination record, and date of the听holder鈥檚听last reverse transcription鈥損olymerase chain reaction听test听result.听听听
The bill will serve as an amendment to听Republic Act 11525,听or听the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act.听听
鈥淯nfortunately, the delegation of the printing of vaccine cards to local government units and private entities made it logistically difficult to implement the issuance of uniform vaccine cards throughout the country. For every LGU, there appears to be different format and design for the vaccine cards,鈥澨齅s. Castelo听said in a statement on Saturday.听听听
Under the proposal, the听card can be accessed online and will be听distributed听free of charge.听
YELLOW CARD
On Saturday, Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ)听Deputy听Director Roberto M. Salvador, Jr.听said听in a public briefing that the issuance of digital vaccination certificates would听be听launched听in September.听In the meantime, those who are scheduled to leave and urgently need certification may听secure a yellow card.听
The International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, also known as the Carte Jaune or the yellow card, is a听longstanding听official听document听under听the World Health Organization.听听听
The BoQ, an agency under the Philippine Department of Health, is the country鈥檚 authorized distributor of the yellow card. These are usually issued to Filipino sea-based workers.听听
Mr. Salvador assured that the听Foreign Affairs department听plans to coordinate with other countries to ensure international recognition of the听鈥渙fficial vaccination certificates.鈥澨鈥斕鼳lyssa Nicole O. Tan听and听Russell Louis C. Ku听听
