The Department of Health (DOH) said COVID-19 vaccines will be transferred to areas with high number of cases, if it remains unused by March 24.
According to DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, they have given hospitals a deadline to use all the vaccines allocated for them.
“We have been vaccinating a long time already. And this vaccination should have been finished in a certain period of time na naibigay natin,” Vergeire said in an online briefing.
“So they have to do this expeditiously especially now that the cases are rising. At ito ang panlaban ng ating mga healthcare workers dito sa sakit na ito.”
She, however, stressed that the other vaccination sites will still receive their supply of vaccines as more doses will arrive in the country.
Meanwhile, the DOH warned people who are trying to skip the line to get vaccinated ahead of the others.
“I would like to ask the help of all of our Filipino citizens. Meron po tayo lahat na naka-save para sa bawat isa sa atin. Pero atin lang po munang irecognize at respetuhin ‘yung ating prioritization framework, na mauna muna po ang ating mga vulnerable, mauna na po ‘yung mga most at risk na magkakasakit para mapababa pa rin po natin ang mga naoospital at nagkakaroon ng severe infections,” Vergeire said.
As of March 20, 2021, 6pm, 336,656 people have been vaccinated in the country.
Based on DOH data, 1,105,600 out of 1,125,600 doses (98.2%) have been distributed in 1,623 vaccination sites in 17 regions. – Mark Fetalco
