(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Customs cleared more COVID-19 vaccine doses upon arrival in the country, as the Philippines’ vaccination drive continues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the bureau said the 1.5 million doses of Sinovac vaccines arrived on Friday May 7, via Flight No. 5J 671 from China.
Over 2 million AstraZeneca doses (2,030,400 doses) arrived via Singapore Airlines Flight SQ 910 from the Netherlands on Saturday, May 8.
The arrival of the AstraZeneca vaccines at 1 p.m. was witnessed by Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Department of Health Sec. Francisco Duque III, Testing Czar Sec. Vince Dizon, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires John C. Law, U.S. Embassy Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer Claire Bea, World Health Organization Rep. Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, Unicef PH Rep. Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, United Nations Rep. Gustavo Gonzales, Usec. Robert Borje and Customs NAIA District Collector Carmelita Talusan.
According to the bureau, both shipments underwent Customs pre-clearance processes prior to their arrival, which were facilitated through the NAIA One Stop Shop.
Upon arrival, the vaccines were brought by the BOC Covax Special Handling Team to the Pharmaserv Cold Storage Facility in Marikina City.
“The Bureau of Customs-NAIA headed by District Collector Carmelita Talusan, will continue to support the government’s COVID-19 inoculation program and shall actively coordinate with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) for the effective and efficient processing, facilitation, release, handling, and delivery of imported Covid-19 vaccines, medicines, and other related goods as well as continue to assist in the expeditious clearance of all time-sensitive vaccines arriving in the country in compliance with the directive of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero,” the bureau said.
The government kicked off the nationwide vaccination drive in March.
It has said it was aiming to inoculate 50 to 60 percent of the population to achieve herd immunity.
Herd immunity takes place when most of the population is protected from an infectious disease, thereby giving indirect protection to the rest that is not inoculated.
(Eagle News Service)
