VVOC to lobby for more Sputnik V jabs for Cebu

CEBU, Philippines —  The Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC) is set to request the National Task Force against COVID-19 to include Cebu in the distribution of the newly-arrived 190,000 doses of the Sputnik V component 2 or the second dose.

In its statement, NTF’s chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez,Jr. said, the latest batch will be deployed to Bohol, Isabela, Bacoor City in Cavite, Metro Manila, and some areas in Regions 3 and 4-A.

VVOC’s spokesperson, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, said they will request for Cebu to be included.

There are less than 11,000 Cebuanos that got the first dose of Sputnik V that they are all hoping to finally get their second dose, even with the assurance of DOH earlier that it is still okay to get the second dose within three to six months of their first jab.

The latest batch of Sputnik V’s component 2 arrived last Saturday night at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

Russian Ambassador Marat Pavlov, Philippine Archipelago International Trading Corporation Chairman Benito Yap Aw, and Philippine Archipelago International Trading Corporation President Olivia Limpe Aw witnessed the arrival of the Sputnik V vaccines along with Galvez.

The delay in the delivery of the vaccines is said to be due to production issues encountered by the Russian-made manufacturer.

“As promised by the Russian Direct Investment Fund that this will be delivered today (Saturday), and we are very thankful that they fulfilled their promise and we are hoping that in the next deliveries, there will be no more delay,” said Galvez.

On the other hand, Galvez also disclosed that the national government is already negotiating to get more Sputnik Light vaccines, the one-shot variant of the Sputnik V jab, in order to fast-track the country’s vaccine rollout.

“We are now possibly focusing on Sputnik Light considering that it's like Johnson & Johnson. Ito ‘yung mas maganda na makuha natin dahil mas madali itong i-deploy sa mga geographically-isolated areas.” Galvez said.

Galvez said it would be advantageous for the country to get the Sputnik Light since it’s only a one-dose shot.

“Advantage ‘yun kasi if we get 9 million of that, 9 million Filipinos will be benefitted,” added Galvez.

The country has so far received 59,359,810 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, of which 570,000 are Sputnik V . — KQD (FREEMAN)