Vaccination for on-site workers to be mandated in the Philippines

The Philippines has mandated vaccination for on-site workers in areas where there are sufficient supplies of COVID-19 vaccines. 

The new measures are slated to take effect on December 1, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, reports Rappler. 

“Eligible employees who remain to be unvaccinated may not be terminated but they shall be required to undergo regular RT-PCR testing, or antigen tests, at their own expense,” he said. 

Workers who receive their vaccinations during work hours should not be considered absent from work, with sufficient proof of a confirmed vaccination schedule, he added. 

“Accordingly, only the presentation of a medical clearance issued by a government health office, or birth certificate, as the case may be, shall serve as sufficient and valid proof of ineligibility for vaccination,” he elaborated.

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As of November 10, around 32.97% of the country’s population have received their first of two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, while about 27.66% have received their full vaccinations.

The country’s health department has said that it was open to the idea of mandatory vaccinations for select high-risk sectors, but would consider such a measure only as a last resort.