Gov’t eyes initial purchase of 24 million COVID-19 vaccines next year

FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a “Vaccine COVID-19” sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken April 10, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

MANILA, Philippines — The government is planning to purchase an initial batch of 24 million coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) once it becomes available next year, newly-appointed vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. announced on Thursday.

“Ang gusto po ng Presidente ay magkaroon ng vaccine ang lahat ng populasyon natin and many countries also  dedicated twice as much the population of their countries. Iyon ang gusto ng presidente to be accessible to the poor so ang pinaka target natin initially ay 24 million [vaccines] for sa mga tinatawag nating indigents [and] for communities,” Galvez, who is also the chief of National Task Force against COVID-19, said in an interview on  ABS-CBN News Channel.

(What the President wants is to procure vaccines for the entire population and many countries are also dedicated twice as much as the population of their countries. This is what the President wants, for the vaccine to be accessible to the poor so our target initially is 24 million vaccines for indigents and for communities.)

Galvez, who was appointed as the country’s vaccine czar on Nov. 2, will be assisted by a group of experts for the vaccine program.

National Task Force COVID-19 Response Chief Implementor and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. (FILE PHOTO)

The Department of Health (DOH) said Galvez will be guided by experts from the private sector, DOH and Department of Science and Technology, which leads the clinical vaccine trials in the country.

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