Health workers up for vaccination next month
MANILA – Secretary Carlito Galvez said the government has prioritized a million healthcare and medical frontline workers for inoculation as soon as the vaccines arrive next month.
The National Task Force against COVID-19 disclosed the first batch of vaccines procured is set to be delivered next month.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the target date for the vaccine’s delivery is the first week of February. He added it would really depend on the available supply
“If our order arrives in February, the vaccination will commence in the middle of the month or early March,” Secretary Duque said.
Secretary Galvez said they are negotiating to acquire from 200,000 to 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Galvez said there will also be 500,000 doses of Sinovac.
Galvez, a retired military commander, said the price of the vaccines is part of the Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement (CDA) and the Philippines is up to lose 148 million doses of the vaccine should the government breaks the agreement. (Melo M. Acuña)
Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez. (Screen grab from Malacanang virtual press conference/Melo M. Acuna)