MANILA — The Department of Health on Tuesday clarified that a Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Identification Number or PIN is not required for those who will register for COVID-19 vaccination.

This followed an earlier social media post where the state health insurer called on Filipinos to take note of their PIN since this is needed by all potential vaccine recipients.

“The Department of Health (DOH) clarifies that PIN is not a requirement to register for and receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and is only required when claiming PhilHealth benefits in cases of adverse events following immunization (AEFI),” the agency said in a statement, in response to PhilHealth’s earlier announcement.

AEFI refers to symptoms or medical conditions that may be observed after vaccination. Such events often require investigation to prove that they were caused or linked to vaccination.

The DOH said that Filipinos who are not yet registered to PhilHealth can sign up through PhilHealth registration at vaccination sites. It said that this will be necessary especially “in cases of AEFI that need hospitalization.”

The agency also pointed out that under the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, all Filipinos are automatic members of PhilHealth, regardless if they are direct or indirect contributors.

For almost a month, the Philippines has been administering COVID-19 vaccines to health workers but only 650,000 have been vaccinated as of Monday. The government is hoping to inoculate up to 70 million people by the end of the year to reach herd immunity.

• READ: More than 650,000 Filipinos vaccinated against COVID-19 — DOH

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