Galvez sees hitches in PH’s COVID vaccination program in Q1, Q2 

Vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. File photo from the Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ vaccination against COVID-19 slated in the first and second quarter of this year is seen to be affected by delays in delivery of vaccines, especially from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, due to export restrictions, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Tuesday.

Galvez said some countries are prohibiting exports of not only vaccines but also raw materials, which hampers the delivery and manufacturing of vaccines.

One such country is India, where it is holding up export licenses for COVID-19 vaccines destined for poor countries due to increased domestic demand.

Vaccines from British-Swede drug firm AstraZeneca are being produced under license in India for the COVAX scheme, which is meant to ensure that low-income countries can access COVID-19 jabs.

“Nakikita natin baka iyong ating vaccination program for the first quarter and second quarter will be affected by the developments that some of the countries are prohibiting iyong export not only the vaccine but also iyong raw materials,” Galvez said in a Palace briefing.

(We have seen that our vaccination program for the first quarter and second quarter will be affected by the developments that some of the countries are prohibiting the export not only the vaccine but also the raw materials.)

Galvez said the Philippines is using its diplomatic relations with different countries to secure the supply of vaccines to address the delays in vaccine deliveries.

He also said Israel and other countries, which have gotten vaccines more than their population, are reportedly willing to share their supply once they have completed inoculating 70% of their population.

“Talagang ang situation talaga, talagang very tight ang supply po natin,” he said.  (The situation is really, really very tight in terms of our supply.)

On Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that the government is experiencing difficulty in procuring COVID-19 vaccines since countries are fighting oversupply, with some “shanghaing” the shots.

“Something has gone wrong with most of the countries. They shanghaied. There’s a ruckus going on and the fight for COVID-19 [vaccine] possession is ongoing, is a very serious one,” he said in his weekly national address.