Duterte allows LGUs to buy COVID-19 vaccines

MANILA, Philippines — Local government units (LGUs) will be allowed to procure vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019.

President Duterte approved a tripartite agreement among LGUs, the national government and pharmaceutical firms for the vaccine procurement in recognition of the role of LGUs in the rollout of a national vaccination program to prevent the spread of the virus, according to National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.

“As we have said, talagang pangako po ng Pangulo na babakunahan po natin ang ating mga kababayan with a safe, effective and free vaccine,” Galvez said during the Laging Handa briefing yesterday.

He said the government is on the advance stages of negotiations with Novavax, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), Sinovac and Gamaleya and hopes to close the deal this month.

Aside from bilateral negotiations, Galvez said the country stands to receive doses for 23 million Filipinos through the Gavi COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access or COVAX facility.

“This is a global initiative aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide with equitable access to safe and effective vaccines,” he said.

Based on ongoing negotiations, Galvez said the government would be able to purchase 148 million doses from seven manufacturers.

Global supply

“However, it will be dependent on the global supply. Kung makikita po natin... yung rich countries have procured more than 80 percent of the global supply,” he said.

Under the Philippine National Vaccine Roadmap, the government will vaccinate 50 to 70 million Filipinos within the year.

Galvez said the implementation of a national vaccination program is not the sole responsibility of the government.

“Batid ng pamahalaan na hindi niya ito makakayang mag-isa. This is the reason why the whole of government and the whole of nation approach shall be adopted, maximizing manpower, expertise and processes to ensure a coordinated and integrated implementation of the COVID-19 immunization program,” he said.

Galvez stressed the need for LGUs to identify the sectors to be given priority.

Ormoc readies priority list

Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez said the city government would purchase COVID-19 vaccines for at least 80 percent of its 240,000 residents.

Gomez said health care workers top the list of priority recipients followed by 18,000 senior citizens and those deemed highly vulnerable.

“There’s no need for pre-registration. Our city health department has the priority list ready and everybody on it will be inoculated unless they refuse,” Gomez said.

He said not everyone would be inoculated at once due to insufficient funds.

Gomez said the city government has to allocate P300 million to procure vaccines for its targeted 96,000 residents.

Gomez issued an executive order on Dec. 29, creating the Ormoc City COVID-19 Task Force to help monitor and intensify the vaccination program.

Gomez heads the task force with Vice Mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin as vice chairman. Gomez said private sources would also be tapped to achieve a 100 percent vaccination rate.

P100 million for Baguio

Meanwhile, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said he would propose a supplemental budget of P100 million for the city’s vaccination program.

Magalong said he is in talks with a leading manufacturer to procure the vaccine at minimal cost.

He said a global company is also willing to provide 10,000 doses through a foundation, adding that local businessmen could pitch in.

In Ilocos Sur, Candon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chief Florante Galang said the city government is allotting P20 million to procure vaccines for 40 percent of its population.

Galang said the priority sectors have yet to be identified. – Neil Jayson Servallos, Artemio Dumlao