General population may start receiving COVID-19 shot by August, says vaccine czar
The government targets to start inoculating the nation’s general population in August as it expects to secure steady supply of COVID-19 vaccines from multiple producers, the country’s vaccine czar said on Wednesday.
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President Rodrigo
Roa Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the
Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members prior to his talk to the
people at the MalacaΓ±ang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in MalacaΓ±ang Park, Manila on
April 28, 2021. KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO |
“And then sa August po, we are targeting na pagka dumagsa na po ang ating mga vaccine, puwede na po tayong magkaroon po ng target ng population ng general public na po. Vaccination na po tayo by August kasi mayroon na po tayong eksaktong mga bakuna,” Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a report to President Duterte.
He told the President that they hope to have more
vaccine deliveries in June that will enable the government to start vaccinating
the country’s economic frontliners.
“At darating na rin po ‘yong --- ‘yong mga binili
po ng Go Negosyo, at dadating na rin po ‘yong binili po ng ICTSI nila Mr. Razon
at Ayala, lahat ng mga conglomerates darating na rin po ng June so magsasabay-sabay
na po tayo,” he said.
Galvez, who is also the chief implementer of the
National Task Force Against COVID-19, said they agreed to hold a symbolic mass
vaccination of laborers this May 1, Labor Day.
“Humiling po si Secretary Bello na magbakuna tayo
ng 5,000 na talagang mga frontliners, mga laborers, kasi Labor Day po,” he
said.
“So ang gagawin po natin magbabakuna po tayo ng mga
laborers. And we thank Secretary Duque for approving collectively --- ‘yong
lahat po na ano po natin, at marami pong salamat sa IATF.”
In March this year, the government started
immunizing healthcare workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities
and eyes to conclude it by July.
The government has so far vaccinated one million
healthcare workers, with 700,000 still unvaccinated, according to Galvez.
“At ‘yong iba po kasi ‘yong iba talagang mayroong
27 percent po na ayaw magpabakuna at saka mayroon pong naghihintay ng Pfizer at
saka mga Moderna, ‘yong mga vaccine na nasa Western,” he said.
A total of 250,000 healthcare workers already
received the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Galvez reported. Some 240,000 senior citizens and 256,000
persons with comorbidities also received the shot.
Galvez said they target to vaccinate two million to
three million every week once there’s enough vaccine inventory in the country.
“Meaning ang ating per day is 500,000 to 1 million
ang ano po natin makakaya po natin kasi po mayroon po tayong 5,000 na
vaccination site. Iyong isang vaccination site po kaya po ‘yong 100. So 500,000
po kayang-kaya po in one day,” he said.
The government expects the bulk of vaccine
deliveries by June, as supplies from Moderna, Sinovac, Gamaleya, AstraZeneca,
and from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility come in.
It also sees more supply in the third quarter as
wealthy Western nations complete immunizing 60 to 70 percent of their
populations. PND
