Gov’t aims for ‘very precise’ handling of Covid-19 vaccines, says Galvez

Authorities start simulation exercises for the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines at the airport. /Screenshot from RTVM live

MANILA, Philippines — The government is targetting to execute faster and “very precise” handling of Covid-19 vaccines to make sure that not a single dose of the drug will be spoiled.

“Bago duamating [ang vaccines], dapat mayroong tinatawag na muscle memory, ibig sabihin alam na kaagad ‘yung gagawin,” vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a press conference at Muntinlupa City on Tuesday.

(Before the vaccines arrive, we must have muscle memory, meaning they should know the process.)

“‘Yun ang ginagawa natin sa rehearsal na ‘yung handling [ng vaccines] very precise at timing nandoon kasi the more na matagal ang vaccine outside ng warehouse, magkakaroon ng possibility na magkaroon ng spoilage.”

(We are doing this at rehearsals so that handling and timing of vaccines will be very precise because the more the vaccines are outside the warehouse, there will be the possibility of spoilage.)

“Mas maganda mas mapaliit ang time, the more we shorten the time the more na maging very precise ang execution,” added Galvez, who is also the chief implementer of National Task Force against Covid-19.

(It is better for us to lessen the time because the more we shorten the time, the more that there will be a precise execution.)

In its vaccine simulation exercise conducted earlier, Galvez said it was “generally good” because it took them “more or less 50 minutes” only to execute the planned system for the handling of vaccines. Galvez said they have initially set the length of execution at 120 minutes or 2 hours.

Part of the logistics in the handling of Covid-19 vaccines include its clearance at the Bureau of Customs, loading inside the storage units, and transport to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine, where the vaccines will be unloaded, received, and inspected.

The arrival of initial vaccine doses from American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer is expected by next week, according to the government.

KGA