The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine rollout for the AstraZeneca vaccine has officially started on Monday, March 8.
The rollouts were conducted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Jose B. Lingad Regional Hospital in Pampanga, and Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center.
Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reiterated that the list based on the prioritization framework agreed with the COVAX facility of the World Health Organization (WHO) must be followed.
“These AstraZenca vaccines are for health care workers and any breach [in the] protocol [that is being implemented] might jeopardize the succeeding batches that will be coming from COVAX. Kaya nakikiusap po tayo, sundin po ang prioritization framework natin. Lahat naman tayo magkakaroon ng bakuna in the coming months ahead (That’s why we are asking everyone to comply with the prioritization framework. We will all receive the vaccine in the coming months ahead).”
Meanwhile, more 38,400 AstraZeneca vaccine doses aboard a KLM Airlines plane from Amsterdam have arrived in the Philippines Sunday at 6:44 PM. These completed the first batch of donation of the COVAX facility. 487,200 doses have been initially turned over on March 4. Report from Naomi Tiburcio and Mark Fetalco
