DOH: Around 36% of PH’s vaccine supply went to Metro Manila

CROWD DRAWER Vaccination sites offering the US-made Pfizer jabs are drawing large crowds, such as this one outside the Prince Hotel in Ermita, Manila. Authorities have warned against potential superspreader events as the government ramps up the rollout of vaccines. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Around 2.7 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been allocated to Metro Manila, representing 36 percent of the total 7.7 million COVID-19 vaccine supply received or procured by the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

“We have received 7.7 million doses of four types of vaccines — yung Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V Gamaleya and Pfizer BioNTech,” DOH supply chain management services Director Ariel Valencia said in a televised briefing.

(We have received 7.7 million doses of four types of vaccines—Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V from Gamaleya, and Pfizer BioNTech.)

“Around 36 percent ng vaccines that we received or around 2.7 million were distributed in various LGUs [local government units] in Metro Manila. ‘Yan po yung 17 LGUs natin,” he added.

Valencia said the rest of the allocation were distributed to other regions of the country.

In total, the Philippines has administered more than three million COVID-19 vaccine doses of which over 2.2 million were administered as first dose while over 700,000 were given as second dose.

More individuals may soon be vaccinated as the government prepares to start inoculating essential workers (A4) and indigent citizens (A5) in June or once the volume of COVID-19 vaccines is already steady.

However, the vaccine rollout for persons under these priority groups will be concentrated first in Metro Manila and eight other areas.

EDV