FILE PHOTO: A vial labeled “Sputnik V coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine” on March 24, 2021. REUTERS / Dado Ruvic
MANILA, Philippines — Initial doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines that arrived over the weekend will be distributed to seven sites in five Metro Manila cities, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online press briefing the Sputnik V vaccine doses will be given to Makati Coliseum in Makati City, Lakeshore Vaccination Hub in Taguig City, Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City, Sta. Ana Hospital and Ospital ng Maynila in the City of Manila, and Ospital ng Muntinlupa and Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City.
On Saturday, 15,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute arrived in the Philippines. Delivery of the remaining 480,000 doses of Sputnik V is expected by the end of May.
READ: PH receives first batch of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines
Vergeire explained the rollout of the Sputnik V vaccine will be considered an “initial implementation” in Metro Manila for now because this is the first time that the country has received a vaccine with a different storage requirement.
READ: Palace: Initial batch of Sputnik V to be deployed in Metro Manila
She noted the COVID-19 vaccines so far available in the Philippines – CoronaVac from China’s Sinovac Biotech and the AstraZeneca jab – only require 2 to 8 degrees Celsius temperature for storage.
Sputnik V, on the other hand, should be stored in temperatures not exceeding -18 degrees Celsius.
“That’s why we call it initial implementation because we would like that we can see how we are going to manage it properly, store it properly, and distribute it properly,” the DOH spokesperson said.
The government is expecting the delivery of 20 million doses of Sputnik V.
The Food and Drug Administration earlier said Sputnik V can only be used on individuals 18 years old and above.