The Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday there will no longer be prior announcement as to the anti-COVID-19 vaccine that will be used in various vaccination centers.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said the decision was reached after many people queued in vaccination centers where limited doses of Pfizer vaccine were distributed.

"There will be no more announcement of the brand of vaccine to be given," she said in the "Laging Handa" public briefing.

She said those who are scheduled to be vaccinated have just to go to the designated inoculation places of their respective local government units.

"People flocked for Pfizer (vaccine) when it was announced that Pfizer would be used. Everybody wanted to choose Pfizer," Cabotaje said.

She reiterated that all the COVID-19 vaccines in the country are effective.

"Whatever vaccine is available, you should get it at the time that you're scheduled (to be inoculated)," she stressed.

She added that the right of first refusal was just granted to Priority Group A1 or the healthcare workers. This was because during the initial rollout of vaccination program, only Sinovac vaccine from China was available and it was initially not recommended for healthcare workers due to low efficacy rate, she said.

She said other priority groups were not given the right to refuse, otherwise, "if you don't get it, you end up down the line." Celerina Monte/DMS