Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao will be first recipients of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines

FILE PHOTO: Vials labelled “COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine” and a syringe are seen in front of the Pfizer logo in this illustration taken February 9, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

MANILA, Philippines — The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer BioNTech, which is expected to arrive on Monday, will be distributed in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Monday that these areas have proven that they could handle and store the vaccine, which requires ultra-low temperatures to maintain its efficacy.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines need to be stored at a temperature of -70 degrees Celsius.

“Ito ay ‘yung may mga subok na at napatunayan natin, based sa simulation activities, na yung ultra-low freezer nila at saka ‘yung handling ay makakaya at hindi magkakaroon ng wastage,” Vergeire said in an online media forum.

(These areas have proved in simulation activities that they can handle and store the vaccines and we won’t have any wastage.)

The Philippines is expected to receive some 193,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

At present, the country has already received over 7.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, composed of 2.5 million of AstraZeneca doses, 5 million CoronaVac doses from China’s Sinovac Biotech, and 15,000 Sputnik V doses from Russia’s Gamaleya Institute.

EDV