Additional doses of Sinovac coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines are expected to arrive in the country this week, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said.
"Sa July 14, may dadating na Sinovac (vaccines) tayo para tuloy-tuloy ang pagbabakuna sa NCR-plus 8 (On July 14, we will have more Sinovac (vaccines) for continuous vaccination in NCR Plus 8)," said DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje in an interview over DZBB radio on Sunday, July 11.
Cabotaje, however, did not mention how many Sinovac vaccines will be delivered on Wednesday, July 14.
The NCR(National Capital Region)-plus 8 is composed of Metro Manila, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.
Meanwhile, the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Japanese government and arrived in the country on July 8, were also distributed to the priority areas, said Cabotaje.
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“Sa NCR Plus 8, kasi wala na tayong maiturok sa NCR. Nandoon pa rin yung focus (These were distributed to the NCR-plus 8, since vaccine supply in NCR ran out. Our focus is still there). About 90 percent of the vaccines are for NCR, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Calabarzon... the populated areas, highly urbanized areas, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, and Rizal,” she said.
Aside from the NCR-plus 8, ten other areas were also part of the priority in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines due to spike in cases.
These include Bacolod, Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, Zamboanga City, Dumaguete, Tuguegarao, General Santos, Naga, and Legaspi.