Filipinos want Covid-19 vaccines, but supplies lacking

THE NATIONAL Government and Department of Health continue to encourage the public to get inoculated against the deadly respiratory disease, but the supplies of Covid-19 vaccines are lacking.

Across Mindanao, residents are flocking vaccination sites, but many of those who registered with health centers or through the Internet have not received any schedule for their inoculation. Some have waited for months, but until now did not get any reply from the government. And others had claimed unequal distribution of the vaccines or favoritism, nepotism and undue influence and even bribery in the mass vaccination program.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government is eyeing to administer 8-10 million vaccine doses this July. He said over 13.3 million doses of various vaccines are expected to be delivered to the country this month.

He said some 10 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide with more than 2.5 million getting the full dose. The Philippines has over 110 million population and is lagging behind some Southeast Asian countries in vaccine procurement.

According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, with vaccines being approved for use in different parts of the globe, the scale and complexity of their manufacture, allocation and distribution globally will be unprecedented.

It said this will also present corruption risks that may threaten vital public health goals. These risks include the entry of substandard and falsified vaccines into markets, theft of vaccines within the distribution systems, leakages in emergency funding designated for the development and distribution of vaccines, nepotism, favouritism, and corrupted procurement systems.

“These corruption risks must be identified and mitigated by public institutions to help advance access to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines by the population, including the most vulnerable and marginalized groups,” it said. (Mindanao Examiner)

 

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