Galvez to appoint ‘new people’ for vaccine core group

MANILA, Philippines — There will be new people to help oversee the COVID-19 vaccination program in the country, vaccine czar Calito Galvez Jr said Thursday.

“Opo mayroon tayong tinatawag na mga new people, at the same time, nakasama ng IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) kasi ang gagawin natin under ng chief implementer iyong vaccine roadmap task group,” Galvez, also National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer, said over ABS-CBN News Channel when asked if he will designate new people to the core group tasked to effectively implement the vaccination program.

(Yes we have new people, at the same time, those who worked with the IATF because what we will do is the vaccine roadmap task group will be under the chief implementer.)

He, however, said his list of vaccine core group members will be submitted to  President Rodrigo Duterte for approval.

“Yes. Actually, I will present a core group consisting people from DOF [Department of Finance], from DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs], DOH [Department of Health], and also from the private sector,” he told the news anchor when asked if he will submit a list to Duterte of his recommended members in the COVID-19 vaccine core group.

On Wednesday, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto told the country’s vaccine czar to “assemble his Justice League” to make sure that the vaccination program will be effective as he cannot shoulder the responsibility alone.

“No mission is tougher and no stake is higher than providing vaccines for all. But that burden is too heavy for one man to bear,” Recto said.

Aside from being the vaccine czar and NTF COVID-19 chief, Galvez is also Duterte’s peace adviser.

/MUF