(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the National Task Force’s (NTF) Philippine National Vaccine Roadmap which will ensure that the safest and most effective vaccine would be given to Filipinos.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that three options are also being discussed for the acquisition of the vaccine: through government to government deals, tripartite and multilateral deals where the pooled acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines by the ASEAN could be done to be able to buy vaccines at the lowest cost.
Roque also identified the countries which are prioritized for vaccine agreements.
“Makikita ninyo naman ngayon, ito iyong mga priorities natin for bilateral, tripartite and multilateral arrangements. Sa bilateral, G-to-G, sa Philippines and China, Russia, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, India, Israel, Singapore and Germany at iba pang ASEAN countries gaya ng Singapore,” he said.
“Pagdating naman sa mga tripartite agreements, mayroon tayong mga tripartite agreements sa panig siguro ng Pilipinas, ng Inglatera at saka ng business sector; iyong government to government na mga agreement at saka doon sa gumagawa ng bakuna; sa panig ng Pilipinas, iyong gumagawa ng bakuna at saka ng business sector; sa panig ng Pilipinas, ng Indonesia at iyong gumagawa ng bakuna; sa panig ng Pilipinas, ng Estados Unidos at noong gumagawa ng bakuna,” he explained.
Roque said that the Philippines will also join other pooled purchases being arranged by the Asian Development Bank, World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and other international organizations. This will be under multilateral deals, and will be aside from the pooled vaccine acquisition by the ASEAN.
“At last siyempre po iyong multilateral natin, pupuwede nga iyong ASEAN pooled, iyong lahat tayong miyembro ng ASEAN ay bibili tayo bilang isang mamimili o ‘di naman kaya ay sasapi tayo doon sa mga pooled purchases na inaayos ng ADB, ng World Bank, ng World Health Organization, UNICEF at iba pa,” Roque said.
-COVAX mechanism-
Another way for the country to acquire the vaccine is through the COVAX mechanism.
COVAX was launched in April by the World Health Orgzanition, the European Commission and France in response to this pandemic. It will ensure that all countries and people will have access to vaccines against COVID-19 once these have been made available. It is one of three pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator,
“It is the only truly global solution to this pandemic because it is the only effort to ensure that people in all corners of the world will get access to COVID-19 vaccines once they are available, regardless of their wealth,” said a primer from GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
“Mayroon po kasing kasunduan, iyong COVAX with eight leading vaccine manufacturers. Mayroon po iyang subsidized doses, mayroon pong mga self-financing countries,” Roque said.
GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, said that the COVAX pillar “is the only truly global solution to this pandemic because it is the only effort to ensure that people in all corners of the world will get access to COVID-19 vaccines once they are available, regardless of their wealth.”
Roque also explained that part of the national vaccine road map is ensuring that the vaccines which will be bought and distributed to Filipinos are the safest and most effective against COVID-19. These vaccines would also have to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
-Vaccines need FDA approval-
Another decision point in the vaccine plan is whether a single dose of the vaccine would be given, or two doses of it; the cold storage facilties needed; and the distribution of the vaccines once acquired.
Roque again reiterated that the poor or indigents and the frontline workers will be prioritized for the vaccines. After them will be the rest of the population.
“Tulad ng madalas kong sabihin, the availability of the vaccine will be a game-changer, where we go from avoidance to actively minimizing the threat of the infection,” he said.
The procurement process for the vaccines is from January to March next year.
(Eagle News Service)
