DOH asks LGUs to work with nat’l gov’t for effective COVID vaccine distribution

Health Undersecretary Rosette Vergeire. Screengrab from RTVM video.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has asked local government units to work with the national government to ensure an “effective distribution system” for COVID-19 vaccines, once it’s available in the country.

The DOH issued the call on Monday as local governments in Metro Manila announced the allocation of funds to provide COVID-19 vaccines for their constituents.

“Ang local governments ay hinihikayat ng national government to work with us because we can pool the funds and the national government can procure and we can have an effective distribution system,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online forum.

Vergeire noted only the national government can procure vaccines issued with an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration.

Vaccines can only be available on the market if it gets a certificate of product registration (CPR), she added.

The EUA is issued to unregistered drugs and vaccines in a public health emergency such as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It shall only be valid within the duration of the declared public health emergency or upon issuance of full market authorization or CPR.

“We have to remember the national immunization program rests on the mandate of the DOH so hopefully the local governments can work with us. Try to work with us so that we can have a more effective vaccination deployment implementation,” she said.

Vergeire assured that local governments will be included in the list of those that will be provided with COVID-19 vaccines.

JPV