By Christine Fabro
One million more doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the Philippines on Sunday (June 6) morning, the first of the larger volumes of vaccine doses arriving in the country this month.
This new batch of Chinese-made vaccines arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport around 7:36 a.m. via a Cebu Pacific flight.
According to the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 chief implementer Sec. Carlito Galvez, these vaccines will be distributed to the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby areas that have high average on attack rates.
“Ang paglalagyan nyan, NCR, at tsaka yung tinatawag nating may mataas na kaso yung high attack rate. And then merong sinasabi si PRRD (President Rodrigo Duterte), we will comply yung sinasabi niya na mag-pro-rate sa mga areas [such as] Cagayan, Zamboanga, CDO (Cagayan De Oro), Butuan, at ibang areas sa Region 6 na tumataas ang mga kaso,” said the vaccine czar.
Another 1 million Sinovac vaccine doses will be arriving on June 10 while 2.2 million Pfizer vaccines and 2 million AstraZeneca vaccines will be coming from the COVAX facility.
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said that the ceremonial rollout of vaccination for the A4 category – which consists of the economic frontliners and government workers – will happen tomorrow, June 7.
The symbolic vaccination will be held at the Mall of Asia at 10 a.m.
“Malaking bagay ang economic frontliners at mahalaga na sila ay umpisahan na ring mabakunahan. Although tandaan natin na ‘yung A3, ‘yung persons with comorbidities, parang A4 na rin yan,” Duque said.
Galvez noted that an additional 5.5 million Sinovac vaccine doses are government procured through the DOH fund.
“‘Yung darating natin na details [ng bakuna], sa ngayon, yung Sinovac 5.5-M, nadagdagan kasi nag-provide ang DOH ng another 1-M and we are very thankful sa Chinesa government and Sinovac for being committed na magkaroon tayo ng steady supply,” said Galvez. -rir
