More than 2.2 million Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine doses that arrived in the Philippines last week have already started distributing to local government units.
According to Secretary Vince Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, Pfizer vaccines have been distributed to LGUs that meet the temperature requirement of the vaccine brand.
“Marami diyan ay sa mga malalaking siyudad tulad ng NCR (National Capital Region), Cebu at Davao,” said Dizon.
But cities in Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Mindanao have also shown the ability to store Pfizer vaccine.
In Navotas City, the local government received 7,020 doses of Pfizer.
But according to Mayor Toby Tiangco, they are waiting for something else before using such vaccines, such as the syringe.
Meanwhile, according to the Department of Health, 1 million doses of Sinovac vaccines that arrived almost simultaneously with Pfizer have not yet been distributed.
The certificate of analysis from the manufacturer is still awaited before the vaccines are distributed to the LGUs.
Additional Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines distributed
“‘Pag nagdi-distribute tayo ng bakuna, kailangan kompleto ang dokumento… ‘yong recent na delivery sa atin ng Sinovac, wala pa kaming certificate of analysis,” said Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire.
According to Vergeire, about 2.5 million COVID-19 vaccines of AstraZeneca have already been distributed at vaccination sites, which will expire at the end of June and July.
Almost all of the twelve have allegedly been injected.
Within almost 3 and a half months of vaccination, almost 1.9 million Filipinos, or only 2.7 percent of the target of 70 million, were fully vaccinated, while more than 5 million received the first dose.
Despite this, the government is confident that it can achieve population protection or vaccination of all vulnerable individuals this year.
About 11 million doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in the Philippines this June.
According to NTF Against COVID-19, with the arrival of more vaccines donated by the COVAX Facility, vaccination is also expected to open this June to the A5 priority group or the poor.
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