Lacson says Filipinos ‘might all die’ waiting for vaccines

Senator Panfilo Lacson said Filipinos “might all die waiting” for COVID-19 vaccination if the government would not make drastic and innovative measures.

“WB/ADB/AIIB approved loans for Ph Covid vaccines:
April 20,2020 – US$100M
May 28, 2020 – US$500M
Dec 16, 2020 – US$600M
Mar 12, 2021 – US$500M
Mar, 2021 – US$400M
Mar, 2021 – US$300M
plus:
P10B – DOH Bayanihan budget
equals:
P126.75B@P48.64 per US$1
NASAAN KA BAKUNA?” Lacson in a tweet.

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“I doubt if our health authorities have a sound analysis and assessment why the sudden spike in COVID cases. The thing is, how can we have a solution when we don’t know the cause of the problem?” Lacson said in a separate statement.

“Unless some drastic and innovative steps are undertaken, we might all die waiting,” he added.

Lacson lamented how local government units seem to be dragging their feet on securing COVID-19 vaccines.

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“Even the private sector and eventually the LGUs, not having the patience to wait for government action, took it upon themselves to procure vaccines for their employees, even offering 50% of their vaccine purchases to the government,” Lacson said.

Lacson says Filipinos ‘might all die’ waiting for vaccines

“Instead of treating them as partners and assisting them, the government regulated and controlled everything by requiring them to go through government procurement, or else,” he added.

1.4 million doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine are scheduled to arrive this March, of which 1 million were purchased by the government and 400,000 were donated by China.

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About 1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines are expected to arrive in April.

It is also possible that 4 million more doses of the vaccine will arrive, half of which will be purchased at Sinovac, and Sputnik V will be ordered from Gamaleya once it has emergency use authorization (EUA).

On May, 8 million doses of the vaccine are expected, including 2.6 million from AstraZeneca, and 200,000 from Moderna.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) National Task Force chair Carlito Galvez Jr. said about 1.7 million are expected to be vaccinated by April.

To date, more than 240,000 or 14 percent of the 1.7 million  workers have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Philippines.

“Talagang medyo binabagalan natin ng kaunti dahil ‘yung napag-usapan po natin na mayroon adverse effects. Sa ngayon mayroon tayong accommodated na more or less 5,000 adverse effects, pero mga normal lang po, mga lagnat, parang lalagnatin,” said Galvez.