Phl expects securing 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses next month
The government is eyeing to secure 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of June with the expected arrival of more than nine million coronavirus vaccine doses next month, the country’s vaccine czar said on Monday.
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Presidential Adviser
on Peace Process and National Task Force against Coronavirus Disease-2019 (NTF
COVID-19) chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. gives updates to President
Rodrigo Roa Duterte during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the
Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Active
Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on May 10, 2021. TOTO LOZANO/
PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
In
his report to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said
for the month of June, they expect shipment of 1.1 million Pfizer vaccine
doses; 4.5 million from Sinovac; 250,000 from Moderna; 1.3 million from
AstraZeneca; and two million from Russia’s Sputnik V.
Vaccine
supplies acquired for June alone will be enough to inoculate most, if not all,
of the country’s priority sectors in the government’s ongoing mass vaccination
program particularly medical frontliners, senior citizens and individuals with
comorbidities.
Galvez,
who is also the chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19,
said vaccine supplies are being delivered to the Philippines “not in trickles
but in volumes,” noting its positive impact in government’s plans to expand and
fast-track the inoculation of the country’s adult population.
Galvez
said the Philippines is implementing “Focus and Expand – Center of Gravity”
vaccination strategy which has nine focus areas including Metro Manila,
Bulacan, Cavite, Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Metro Cebu, and Metro
Davao, while other regions in the country are grouped under “expansion
areas".
The
center of gravity refers to the Philippines’ economic centers which are
vulnerable areas at the same time, Galvez explained. To reach the goal, focus
areas will receive a steady number of vaccine supplies to maintain steady
rollout and prevent delays.
“So
pagka na-address po natin, na-strengthen natin ang ating vulnerabilities at the
same time we strengthen our economic strength, iyon po ang center of gravity po
natin,” he said.
“The
main purpose of this supply and demand vaccine rollout is that to finish the
vaccination at the earliest possible time and maximize the resources that we
have without any wastage,” he added.
The
Philippines’ stringent efforts to vaccinate target sectors put the country in
second place among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member
countries in terms of daily rate of administered doses. The country ranked 15th
in Asia.
Citing
data from the World Health Organization (WHO), Galvez said vaccinating at least
25 million of the country’s most vulnerable population will help the
Philippines reach initial herd containment; while inoculating 58 million to 70
million will help reach herd immunity.
Once
COVID-19 vaccines for children are made available, Galvez said the Philippines
can target vaccinating the entire 110 million population, halting the highly contagious
respiratory disease.
At
present, the Philippines administers around 65,879 daily average vaccine doses
with a total of 2,409,235 doses administered to medical frontliners, senior
citizens, persons with comorbidities, and economic frontliners.
The
Department of Health (DOH) has recorded 6,846 new coronavirus infections on May
10, bringing the country’s total number of cases to 1,108,826 with 1,030, 367
recoveries and 18,562 deaths. PND
