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DOH eyes complete rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines in '4 to 5 days'

Philippines | National

DOH eyes complete rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines in '4 to 5 days'

By Analou de Vera

The Department of Health (DOH) is eyeing to complete the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccines to different hospitals "within four to five days.”

(Photo by Fred SCHEIBER / AFP)

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III assured the public the continued distribution of the 487,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines which the Philippines received from the World Health Organization (WHO)-led COVAX facility on March 4.

“The rollout of the AstraZeneca began last night, so it is continuing. The distribution of AstraZeneca is for hospitals where they have senior healthcare workers, meaning 60 years of age and above. It is also to be given to those healthcare workers who did not want to be inoculated with Sinovac,” he said in a press briefing at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center on Saturday, March 6.

“The AstraZeneca will continue to be distributed and hopefully within four to five days we will be able to completely deploy the AstraZeneca vaccines (to hospitals),” he added.

During a public press briefing on Saturday, March 6, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH will conduct ceremonial activities for the AstraZeneca vaccines which will be done in three hospitals: Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City, Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, and Ospital ng Paranaque in Paranaque City.

The country started its COVID-19 vaccination program on March 1 after the donated Sinovac vaccines from the Chinese government arrived in the country on Feb. 28.

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