Galvez says COVID-19 vaccination may start by May 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The government is eyeing to start the inoculation of vaccines against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by May next year, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a television interview on Thursday.

“Ang prediction po ng DOST [Department of Science and Technology] if everything will go well, ang mangyayari po earliest is May,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel when asked about the government’s timeline for the inoculation of vaccines against the respiratory disease.

(The prediction of DOST if everything will go well, the earliest for the inoculation is May.)

However, Galvez, who is also the chief of the National Task Force against COVID-19, pointed out that the inoculation may be moved to the end of next year if the vaccines will have supply and demand issues.

“Kung magkakaroon ng hindrances, in terms of sa supply and demand, ang pinaka-earliest po [for inoculation] is maybe end of 2021,” Galvez said.

(If there will be hindrances in terms of supply and demand, the earliest would be the end of 2021.)

As of Wednesday, the Philippines logged 388,137 coronavirus disease cases, including 349,091 recoveries and 7,367 deaths.

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/MUF