The article discusses how health workers in the Philippines have not been vaccinated for COVID-19 yet. This fear of contracting COVID-19 while working with patients who have the virus has caused many to take a leave or quit their jobs all together. President Rodrigo Duterte says the reason health workers aren't getting vaccinated in the country is that rich countries have bought up all the supplies, meaning there is a scramble for vaccines. However, since the Philippines is a lower middle-income country, the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine were bought at a reduced price because of the World Health Organization's initiative known as COVAX. This program was put in place to make sure poorer countries, like the Philippines, don't get the short end of the stick in vaccine distribution as richer countries are in a buyer's race. However, this program does not guarantee frontline workers vaccination as only a handful are able to with the number of doses being provided to the Philippines. This leaves health workers in a stressful and dangerous environment, which has caused many to lose trust in their government and their profession.
Link: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/02/18/969008730/the-philippines-has-vaccinated-zero-health-care-workers-so-far
Sam Selakovich
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