Red Cross eyeing part in COVID-19 vaccine program

MANILA, Philippines — Aside from conducting tests for coronavirus disease, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has started negotiating with its international counterparts to secure doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that it seeks to distribute in the Philippines.

PRC chairman Sen. Richard Gordon said that PRC would also want to help in the vaccination of Filipinos to guarantee their safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One thing we’re doing is we’re already canvassing, because the IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross) and the (PRC), we are talking about having to do the vaccination ourselves to help the government,” Gordon told the Kapihan sa Manila Bay virtual news forum last Wednesday.

The PRC’s statements came as several companies and governments have bared success in making an effective vaccine against the coronavirus this week.

These include US firms Pfizer and Moderna, Russia’s Sputnik V and China’s Sinovac Biotech.

Gordon said the PRC was already preparing for the procurement of any of the vaccines once they are available.

“We’re preparing for that. We’re already looking for funds for that matter,” he added, echoing the government’s plan to prioritize healthcare workers, uniformed personnel and the poor in the COVID-19 inoculation program.

Aside from the PRC, tycoons have also placed orders for vaccines, according to the National Task Force Against COVID-19.