BPO industry secures over 1M doses of COVID-19 vaccines

FILE PHOTO: Vials labelled “COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine” are placed on dry ice in this illustration taken, December 4, 2020. Picture taken December 4, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

MANILA, Philippines — The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has secured over a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines via tripartite agreements with other private companies and the national government.

This was made possible through negotiations made by Go Negosyo with AstraZeneca and the ICTSI Foundation with Moderna, said Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines President Rey Untal during a televised briefing.

“Base po doon sa mga procurement na nagawa po ng ating mga miyembro, mahigit pong one million doses na ang na-procure,” Untal said.

(Based on the procurement made by our members, more than one million doses have been procured.)

Untal said the jabs may arrive in the third or fourth quarter of this year.

Still, the vaccination of BPO industry workers might happen earlier thanks to their inclusion on the essential workers or the A4 category expected to be vaccinated starting June.

READ: A4 priority group expands to BPO, Comelec frontliners for vaccination 

“Kaya later on po kapag dumating na yung mga vaccines natin na ating binili, pwede po natin gamitin sa mga dependents or even as a booster shot later on or even donate it back to the government,” Untal said.

(That’s why later on, once the vaccines we procured arrive, we may use it to our dependents, as a booster shot or even donate it back to the government.)

Untal said they are eyeing more tripartite deals ongoing for Novavax and Covaxin jabs.

“Inaabangan din po namin kung magkakaroon ng opisyal na tripartite agreement with Pfizer,” he added.

(We are also awaiting if there will be an official tripartite agreement with Pfizer.)

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