Setbacks in the delivery of the first batch of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines won't stop the government from delivering a "measured and calibrated" vaccination plan, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. stressed Friday, February 19.
(NTF AGAINST COVID-19 / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
However, Galvez, the chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 and designated vaccine czar, admitted that he is already feeling the pressure amid the growing clamor from the public to start the COVID-19 vaccination. The jabs are now expected to arrive at the end of the month.
"As the leading person to really procure, manage, and get the best vaccines for all of us, we have seen that we were a bit late," Galvez said during the visit of the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) Team in the municipality of Pateros.
"Alam ko na sabik na sabik na kayo sa bakuna at minsan nahihiya po ako dahil sabi nga, bakuna na lang ang kulang. Nasaan na ang bakuna? Iyon ang kwestyon sa atin ngayon. (I know that you are really excited for the arrival of the vaccines and sometimes I get shy because as they say, only the vaccines are lacking. Where are the vaccines? That is the question to us right now)."
"I think what we need to prepare for is a measured and calibrated vaccination," he added.
Two weeks ago, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III stated that there was no definite date yet for the arrival of the vaccines as he belied reports that the first batch of Pfizer and Astrazeneca vaccines would be available by February 14.
Prior to this, NTF officials led by Galvez started conducting simulations of vaccine arrivals and inspections of warehouses where the jabs will be kept to detect and address issues that may arise on the actual arrival of the vaccines.
"We have our expectations that we would start the vaccination by mid-February. But we have seen that the situation in terms of global supply and demand was really difficult," Galvez noted.
He highlighted the uneven distribution of the vaccines as around 130 countries in the world do not still have access to any of the jabs.
Meanwhile, around 75 percent of the 190 million people who already got vaccinated were from the top 10 leading and richest countries.
"Here we see the geopolitics of the vaccination. We have different variables and these are the realities," Galvez said.
As such, Galvez appealed to the public to be patient even as he assured that the national government is "doing our very best" to get Pfizer or Astrazeneca vaccines from the Covax facility "later this month."
"Pasensya na po talaga at hindi po kasi natin hawak ang ating supply chain sa mga vaccines. Sabi ko nga sa inyo, even Canada bought six times of its population, ngayon po ay nagkukumahog dahil nawawalan na po sila ng vaccine (I am really sorry because we do not control the supply chain of the vaccines. Like what I've said, even Canada bought six times of its population, now they are in a rush because they are running out of vaccines)," he said.
"This is the reality now and I hope you understand the situation that the government is in," he added.