Equitable vax distribution reassured as more EU donations arrive

THE GOVERNMENT  assured anew that all local government units (LGUs) across the country will get access to an equitable distribution of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines with the arrival of more donations from European countries, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Tuesday. 

This, after the Philippines, received another vaccine donations of 1,058,400 Moderna doses from France, 453,600 Moderna doses from Spain, and 945,600 single-dose Janssen jabs from the Netherlands.

Welcoming the newly arrived vaccine shipments at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Duque said the government will provide the bulk of supplies to the island provinces nationwide as well as in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), to further ramp inoculation drive in the far-flung communities.

"We have to push for more vaccination in the BARMM and I take the opportunity to appeal to our people to take advantage of the next round of our three-day massive vaccination rollout," he said.

Despite the expected storm warning in some places, Duque hoped the government will be able to administer about 7 million doses during phase 2 of the 'Bayanihan, Bakunahan' drive from Dec. 15 to 17.

"But, if there's going to be a bad weather, we will readjust. We will continue with Luzon tomorrow," he said.

The government will be pushing the second phase of the 'Bayanihan, Bakunahan' drive in Calabarzon, National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region, and Cordillera Administrative Region.

Duque said the government will reschedule the massive vaccination drive, from Dec. 20 to 22, in those areas that will be affected by Tropical Storm Rai (to be named “Odette” once it enters the Philippines Area of Responsibility).

"Hopefully, we should be able to vaccinate closed to about 54 million Filipinos with the completed jabs [by the end of this]," he added.

National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the French government has already delivered its vaccine donations to the Philippines of more than 6.5 million doses.

Galvez said the newly arrived Moderna and single-dose Janssen vaccines will be immediately deployed nationwide for the second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination program 'Bayanihan, Bakunahan'.

The Philippines has so far received a total of 161,062,120 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, both procured and donations, since February. ( Lade Jean Kabagani(