SINOVAC VAX. Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. gives an update on the country’s Covid-19 vaccination program during the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday (June 14, 2021). Galvez said public demand for Sinovac vaccines is increasing. (Presidential photo by King Rodriguez)
MANILA – The public demand for China-made CoronoVac vaccines produced by Sinovac company is increasing in the Philippines, National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Monday.
Galvez, also vaccine czar, said the stable delivery of Sinovac vaccines has "significantly support" the government's expansion of its vaccination program to A4 priority category composed of economic front-liners, uniformed personnel, and government workforce.
"We want to thank China because of its steady delivery which supports our A4 opening and we are also supplying Sinovac to the emerging hotspots," Galvez said during the regular Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang.
Sinovac's steady supply of CoronaVac jabs, he added, is also a huge help to the vaccination in emerging Covid-19 hotspots in the country, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao.
"We have some survey that public demand for Sinovac also greatly increased," Galvez said.
Most local government units (LGUs) are now asking for more supply of Sinovac vaccines, he added.
Galvez said the increasing demand for Sinovac jab is due to its feasible deployment logistics and cold chain storage requirement.
"Kasi mabilisan po ang ginagawa natin kasi (We are fast-tracking this because) we are racing against time," he added.
So far, the country has 7.5 million doses of Sinovac jabs since the delivery began on February 28. The latest delivery was 1 million doses on June 10.
Some 1.5 million doses are set to arrive on June 17, it will be followed by 1 million doses on June 24, Galvez reported.
In July, the Sinovac company will be delivering around 4.5 million doses.
Regardless of the brand, Galvez urged the public to avail shots of the Covid-19 vaccines.
Duterte also reiterated his appeal to avail of the government’s free vaccination against Covid-19.
“My countrymen, the pandemic is here,” he said. “In the face of the reality of death, kapag hindi nagpabakuna, mamatay talaga (If you will get vaccinated, death is certain).”
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the government has allotted PHP85 billion for the purchase of 140 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine for 70 million adult population.
“Sapat po ang pera natin for vaccination. You don’t have to worry. The money is there,” he said.
Earlier, NTF deputy chief implementer Vivencio Dizon said the government has so far administered nearly 7 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine.
“We are seeing that the vaccination is getting faster,” he said in a Palace press briefing on Monday.
Dizon said the country administered more Covid-19 vaccines with an average daily vaccination of 150,000 last week, with a peak of 220,000 vaccine administration in a day from an average of 30,000 per day. (PNA)
