Shell’s nationwide COVID jab program go beyond staff

Shell companies in the Philippines (SciP) will launch a comprehensive, nationwide vaccination program that will extend beyond regular employees to include service personnel in mobility sites, dealers, retirees, and other stakeholders in response to the government’s call for the private sector to help the country achieve herd immunity. 

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The group led by Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC) purchased a total of 42,000 doses of Covovax vaccines from Unilab Inc. The vaccination program, scheduled for rollout from August to November 2021, covers 5,000 full-time employees of SciP, nominated members of their family and household, and members of Shell Club 15 retirees. 

Companies included are PSPC, Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX), Shell Business Operations (SBO) – Manila, Shell Energy Philippines including Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) andShell Employees Savings and Loan Association (SESLA) 

A “Shell Vaccination Day” will be organized in key company facilities and other sites that will be accessible to target recipients nationwide. Vaccination will be scheduled to ensure that welfare and productivity is maintained, with the dates to be disseminated via a digital platform. 

Pilipinas Shell Country Health Manager, Dr. Rose Rivera says the rollout will comply with the government’s prioritization framework. Senior citizens classified as A2, in this case Shell retirees, will be first in line, followed by A3 or adults with comorbidities, then A4 or frontline personnel in essential sectors.

Family and household members of Shell employees are also included in the vaccination program, she adds.

Included in the program are more or less 16,000 forecourt service champions (FSCs) or frontliners serving over 1,100 Shell mobility sites nationwide. This is to enhance the safety of some one million customers that visit Shell mobility sites daily.

Shell FSCs are also encouraged to have themselves vaccinated via their respective LGUs. Shell worked with the Department of Energy to accelerate FSCs from B3 category to A4 in the priority list. This is supported by Shell’s ‘Good Jab’ Campaign to educate, encourage and monitor their vaccination status.

The decision to include frontliners is a no-brainer, says PSPC Vice President for Retail Business Randy del Valle since they are the ones who interact with customers daily, “who need to ensure that it is safe to visit our mobility sites to get fuel or food or services for vehicle care and maintenance in the middle of this pandemic.”

“We are committed to making COVID-19 vaccines available to our employees and extended workforce not only for their safety and protection, but also because by extension, we provide a safe environment for customers who access our products and services via our mobility sites, as well as contractors and suppliers who help us operate our facilities and terminals nationwide,” says Pilipinas Shell President and CEO Cesar Romero.

“Powering progress for the Filipino in the midst of the pandemic also means that we do our part in helping the country reach the numbers needed in terms of vaccinations to reach herd immunity so that we can start our economic recovery sooner rather than later,” he adds.

Pilipinas Shell will work with the Department of Health (DOH), LGUs and its stakeholders to have the vaccines administered safely by competent and professional vaccination teams in compliance with standard health guidelines and protocols.