WHO cautions Philippines not to ignore Covid-19 vaccine priority

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (left) receives a vial containing AstraZeneca vaccine from World Health Organization Representative in the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe as it arrives at Villamor Air Base in Metro Manila, Philippines on Thursday March 4, 2021. The first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines has arrived in the Philippines, among the last in South-East Asia to secure the critical doses despite having the second-highest number of coronavirus infections and deaths in the hard-hit region. - AP

MANILA, March 5 (dpa): A senior official of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned the Philippines against ignoring its priority list for the Covid-19 vaccine, saying the country could lose supply from the global vaccine alliance.

Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO country representative, said the vaccines from the COVAX facility are intended to protect the most vulnerable groups, such as health workers, the elderly, and people with comorbidities.