05 November 2021 - The Philippine Embassy in Beirut, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Lebanon, piloted a vaccination program on 03-04 November 2021 at the chancery. The program is part of IOM’s campaign to increase vaccine awareness and access among migrant workers under the Ministry of Public Health’s (MoPH) IMPACT, Lebanon’s online registration platform for COVID-19 vaccination.
A total of 88 Filipino beneficiaries got their vaccines during the 2-day offsite program. IOM health volunteers and the Embassy’s Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Section assisted walk-in registrants to enrol in the IMPACT platform. The Embassy also provided identification documents to undocumented workers who wished to avail of the vaccine to ensure same-day vaccination.
Philippine Embassy personnel and IOM Health Volunteers during the vaccination program.
The Embassy and IOM also collaborated to produce an audiovisual presentation explaining how COVID-19 vaccines work, their significance in ending the pandemic, and a science-based response to frequently asked questions. It seeks to reduce vaccine hesitancy by demystifying facts surrounding COVID-19 vaccination.
Beneficiaries watched an audiovisual presentation promoting vaccine awareness prepared by IOM and the Philippine Embassy.
Registrants were brought via a free shuttle service from the Embassy and other areas to Mount Lebanon Hospital, where they were administered with either Pfizer or Astra Zeneca vaccines, based on MoPH’s eligibility criteria.
An OFW received her first jab administered by a physician at Mount Lebanon Hospital as part of the vaccination program of IOM and the Philippine Embassy.
The partnership may be replicated by IOM as a model in intensifying campaigns to improve vaccine awareness and accessibility for migrants in Lebanon. Plans for further offsite vaccine programs are on the way.
The Embassy recognizes the importance of vaccinating a sizeable portion of more than 18,000 Filipino workers in Lebanon to prevent COVID-related deaths. In 2021 alone, the Embassy recorded 13 deaths of Filipinos, mostly undocumented, due to COVID infection. END
