The government is eyeing four coronavirus referral hospitals in Metro Manila to be the first recipients of vaccines for their health workers, an official said on Wednesday.

National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the hospitals which will receive the COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they arrive this month are the Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center, East Avenue Medical Center, and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium (formerly Tala Leprosarium).

"We will prioritize the four referral hospitals here in Metro Manila...and then afterwards, the COVID referral hospitals in different cities in Metro Manila. Cebu City and Davao City will be next," he said.

Galvez assured that all the COVID referral hospitals in the country will receive the vaccines.

Those in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao were only being prioritized due to high cases of COVID-19, he explained.

He said with initial 117,000 vaccine doses to arrive in the country, about 58,500 nurses, doctors and medical personnel will receive the vaccine.

Galvez said that initial vaccines from Pfizer and AstraZeneca under the COVAX Facility are expected to be delivered this month.

In two to three days after the vaccines arrive, he said they will be inoculated to the healthcare workers. Celerina Monte/DMS