LGUs that can’t procure vaccines assured of supply by national gov’t

MANILA, Philippines — The national government will allocate local government units that cannot afford to procure vaccines for their constituents a vaccine supply, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday.

Galvez made the assurance after several LGUs already signed deals with the national government and vaccine drugmakers to secure vaccines for their constituents.

“‘Yung mga probinsya at mayors na hindi makakabili, kami po ang magbibigay ng vaccine. At saka po ‘yung mga kulang ng iba, kami po ang magpupuno,” Galvez said in a televised briefing.

(Provinces and towns that cannot procure their vaccines, we will provide the vaccines. If others lack supply, we will fill that gap.)

Galvez also assured that cold chain facilities needed to store the vaccines would be provided by the national government.

“Kami rin po ang magiging in charge, through the DOH [Department of Health] doon sa mga supply agreements, kami po ang magbabayad sa cold chain [facilities] at the same time, yung lahat ng syringes, mga cotton at yung mga PPE [personal protective equipment], ang national government po ang magproprovide,” he said.

(We will also be in charge, through the DOH, of the supply agreements. We will pay for the cold chain facilities and, at the same time, all the syringes, cotton and PPEs. It’s the national government which will provide these.)

The national government has already secured COVID-19 vaccines from China’s Sinovac, the Serum Institute of India, and AstraZeneca.

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