By NG Seruela
The Department of Health (DOH) said it aims to administer one million to two million jabs per week once the COVID-19 vaccine supply is “stable.”
DOH Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) Chairperson Myrna Cabotaje said in the Laging Handa public briefing on Wednesday (May 26) that once the bulk numbers of vaccine doses arrive in the Philippines in the coming months, the government will reach 300,000 jabs per day on the average.
“Kapag dumating in the quantities that have been promised, mga 10 million or 15 million in the next coming months, we will indeed reach — kung ma-mobilize natin lahat itong ating mga vaccination site — we will reach the 300,000 jabs per day na ating tinitingnan na average – 300,000 to 500,000. We are aiming for one to two million a week kapag stable na iyong ating supply,” she said.
Cabotaje explained that despite the high numbers of vaccine doses in the country’s inventory, most of them are reserved for the second dose.
“But as of now, kahit mataas iyong ating inventory, many of them are reserved for second doses. So, while we have an inventory of about eight million, four million ang ating ibabakuna na, iyong iba naka-reserve sa second dose.”
She said the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)’s estimate of the total population of the A4 category nationwide is 22.4 million, of whom around 13 million are located in NCR Plus, while the A5 category is at 8.5 million.
“As of today, wala na po tayong dadating na bakuna up to the end of May. Ini-expect natin po mga 10 million doses in June. So hindi talaga kakayanin kung 13 million ang ating estimate for the A4. Ang gagawin niyan, ipa-prioritize ng mga LGU [local government units] kung sino iyong kailangan nilang unang mga mabakunahan sa ating A4. We will leave it to the LGU to strategize, sino ba ang most at risk, most vulnerable sa mga A4 depende sa kanilang mga lokalidad,” she said. -jlo
