The Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation (MVPSF) has pledged 500 booster shots of the Moderna vaccines for national team members bound for the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in May.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Bambol Tolentino disclosed this Thursday after MVPSF President Al Panlilio, who is also in charge of the POC vaccination program, shared the move is part of the foundation’s commitments to the POC where he serves as first Vice President.
“This is our early commitment to the POC and the moment all documents have been completed by the delegation members, they’ll immediately get their booster shots,” said Panlilio, also the president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and president and CEO of Smart and PLDT.
Tolentino said the donation will be a big help for the national team and added that athletes and coaches who couldn’t be accommodated by the 500 booster shots will get their third vaccines in Tagaytay City.
The POC headed a vaccination program in May and June last year in anticipation of the SEAG that were initially scheduled in December 2021, as well as the Tokyo Olympics last July.
The vaccination drive was supported by the National Task Force Against COVID-19, the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in coordination with the local government of Manila.
A total of 625 athletes are initially listed to the biennial meet scheduled May 12 to 23.
The booster shots are also intended for athletes competing in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Sept. 10 to 25.