THE country yesterday received a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines bought from the Chinese private firm Sinovac Biotech.
Government bought a total of 25 million doses of vaccines from Sinovac and is expecting 3.5 million more doses this month, including the 500,000 ordered by the private sector.
The latest delivery brings the total number of Sinovac doses in the country to 6.5 million, including one million donated by the Chinese government.
The shipment aboard a Cebu Pacific flight was received by Carlito Galvez, chief of the National Task Force against COVID-19 and vaccine czar, and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
Also this month, the government expects the delivery of 2.2 million doses of vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech under the COVAX Facility, one million doses of Sputnik V from Russia’s Gamaleya, and 200,000 doses from the US firm Moderna.
The government is buying at least 148 million doses of vaccines for 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year to achieve herd immunity. It is negotiating with private pharmaceutical firms to increase supply so it can vaccinate all Filipinos by next year, including those age below 18.
It has administered around 5.1 million doses of vaccines so far to mostly of health workers (A1 vaccination priority group), elders (A2) and with comorbidities (A3). It is set to hold a ceremonial vaccination of the A4 group (essential government and private sector workers) today. The A5 (Indigent sector) will also be vaccinated starting this June
It also targets to start mass vaccination including minors by August.
Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista urged beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the social pension, and other services of the department to avail themselves of the government’s COVID vaccination program, as he assured them that all the vaccines administered by the government are safe, effective and approved by experts globally and locally.
The 4PS beneficiaries belong to the A5 category and the social pensions are under the A2 category.
Bautista said the vaccines are given free and aims to safeguard the beneficiaries and their families from contracting the coronavirus.
He also urged them to continue to observe minimum health protocols such as wearing of face masks and face shields, sanitizing their hands, and observing social distancing.
Galvez on Saturday said the government is studying the measures adopted by Israel to convince its people to be vaccinated, such as providing incentives like increased mobility to those vaccinated and imposing restrictions on those who are not yet inoculated.
Israel is the first country to allow the non-wearing of masks outside residences after inoculating more than half of its population. Schools in that country have also re-opened and the Israeli government is now working to fully re-open the economy.
Galvez said three Israeli experts from their Ministry of Health are arriving in the country on June 20 to share their technical expertise and knowledge on how to further enhance the country’s vaccination program, including strategies on the deployment of highly-sensitive vaccines, mechanisms that need to be put in place as the country transitions to the new normal, and ways on how to address vaccine hesitancy.
He welcomed initiatives used by some LGUs and private firms to encourage more people to be inoculated.
He said vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos remains a “challenge,” but the government is optimistic that the country’s vaccination rate will continue to increase as more and more people are convinced to get the jab, some through the government’s information drive while others through the incentives offered by LGUs and private firms.
Galvez said aside from the town hall meetings, the government has started to do house-to-house campaigns.
Some LGUs have also started house-to-house visitation to inoculate the elders and those unable to travel or go to vaccination centers.
Duque said government is continuously urging LGUs to enhance their efforts to reach the two vulnerable sectors, the A2 and A3 groups.
There are about 9.4 million senior citizens and about 14.5 million people with comorbidities nationwide.
Duque said LGUs should identify measures to help improve access to the vaccines of the vulnerable population, like internet connectivity as more LGUs implement online registration, as well as the proximity of designated vaccination sites.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has authorized the inoculation of policemen using vaccines allotted to LGUs, PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said.
Policemen, though part of the A4 category, are supposed to be inoculated with allocations from the national government.
Eleazar said some LGUs have offered to inoculate police using vaccines allocated to the LGUs.
Thus, Eleazar said he asked clearance from Año to allow the policemen to be vaccinated by the LGUs. Eleazar said Año promptly granted his request.
“To the policemen offered to be vaccinated by the LGUs where they are assigned, you may avail of the vaccines,” said Eleazar.
Eleazar said some 15,000 out of the 220,000 policemen have been vaccinated under the A1 and and A3 categories.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Manila city government are set to roll out a vaccination on wheels project later this month with some 24,000 non-medical frontline workers as targeted initial beneficiaries.
Vice President Leni Robredo said her office and the staff of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno are just ironing out details for the deployment of the mobile vaccination units on board modified buses.
“We have coordination meetings with his staff. We will make Manila a pilot area to show people it can be done,” she said.
The VP explained that preparations for the rolling vaccination unit have been in place for some time now but implementation was hampered by one major obstacle — where to get the vaccines.
The OVP has been able to tap thousands of volunteers for its various projects related to COVID-19 response including doctors and other health care professionals.
While healthcare workers have been given priority for the vaccine, Robredo noted that there are also other workers in the frontlines who would require the same shield from COVID-19.
She noted that the accessibility of stationary vaccine centers coupled with restrictions on travel has created a gap that a mobile unit may help address.
Robredo also voiced concern about the Department of Health’s acknowledgment that more than 113,000 individuals who received their first shot of COVID-19 vaccines have not gone back for their second shot.
Health officials have already stressed the importance of completing two doses to acquire higher protection against coronavirus infection or of getting serious or severe cases if infected.
“Whether one million or 113,000, nakakatakot yung laki ng number. Dapat maiayos yung sistema para yung nabiigyan ng unang shot ay makaka-avail ng second shots. (The number, whether in the million or at 113,000, is a cause for worry. The system should be upgraded to prevent this and ensure that people get two doses as recommended.),” the Vice President said. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Gerard Naval, Victor Reyes and Peter Tabingo
