The World Health Organization (WHO) COVAX facility has not yet confirmed the date when the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech will arrive in the country.
According to the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and the Department of Health, the initial 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines are expected to arrive in the second or third week of February.
“For example, Feb. 15, ‘yun ang parang indicative date natin, pero hindi pa po ‘yun ang final date. Puwede pong mag-slide tayo ng third week. Marami pong requirements and paperworks na kelangan i-comply,” said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.
According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the date given to them can still be considered “indicative.”
“The dates that were provided to us were indicative dates. ‘Pag sinabi nating indicative, iyan po ‘yung mga tentative schedule pa lang,” said Vergeire.
The government is also polishing plans to release vaccines at the airport, and take them to the central vaccine hub at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, as well as selected priority hospitals.
The government will now focus on handling the shipment of COVID-19 vaccines while being dropped off, according to National Task Force Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon.
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Arrival date of COVID-19 vaccine tentative – Galvez
It is possible that some vials of the vaccine will be broken if the container is shaken.
“Ang pinaka-kailangan kasi natin ingatan ‘yung handling ng mga vaccines pati ‘yung Pfizer napaka-sensitive. Ngayon, magkakaroon tayo ng parang assessment with our private partners,” said Dizon.
It also examines whether there is a better route to avoid heavy traffic.
He also said that the number of people at the airport should be limited when vaccinations arrive so as not to obstruct the passage of the shipment.
The government also aims to shorten the delivery time of COVID-19 vaccines to their destinations.
But there is no need to declare a holiday for this, according to the National Task Force Against COVID-19.