The Muntinlupa City government will start inoculating residents with the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine from the national government.
It received 1,170 vials, equivalent to 7,020 doses, of the Pfizer-BioNTech brand Thursday and will administer these from May 14 to 18 at Ayala Malls South Park in Alabang.
On Thursday, officials from the Department of Health (DOH) and National Vaccination Operations Center joined Mayor Jaime Fresnedi in observing the Pfizer-BioNTech simulation activity at Ayala Malls South Park.
Witnessing the event were DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau director Dr. Napoleon Arevalo, NVOC execs Dr. Shirly Pador and Dr. Sarah Lazaga, DOH Dir. Gloria Balboa, DOH Dir. Ma. Paz Corrales, Dr. Jose Mari Castro and Dr. Anatoly de los Santos and Muntinlupa City Health Officer Dr. Juancho Bunyi.
Fresnedi thanked the national government for the allocation of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to Muntinlupa.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 14. Before dilution, the vaccine needs to be stored at a temperature of -80 to -60 degrees Celsius. After dilution, each vial of Pfizer-BioNTech contains six doses of 0.3 mL.
According to the FDA, the vaccine is administered in two doses three weeks apart and is for people 16 years old and above. The fact sheet for the vaccine states that after it is diluted, it should be used “within six hours from the time of dilution.”