MANILA – Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said more vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) would be delivered to Western Visayas.
During the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on Tuesday, Galvez committed to expedite the delivery of additional 27,700 doses of vaccines – 16,700 doses of Sinovac and 11,000 doses of Pfizer.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon appealed for more vaccines for Iloilo City amid the surge in COVID-19 cases there and some parts of Western Visayas.
According to the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 6, it has so far received (as of June 13) from the national government 493,640 vaccines (Sinovac and AstraZeneca).
Of these vaccines, 305,420 were used as first doses of target priority groups (healthcare workers, senior citizens and persons with comorbidities) and 188,220 for the second doses, according to DOH-6.
Galvez gave a slightly higher figure – 505,240.
Drilon said he is extremely worried about the situation in Iloilo City and the rising cases in the whole of Western Visayas.
“Salamat po sa inyong tulong sa aking mga kasimanwa. They are fearful that there will be no vaccines coming to them. This assurance will ease their worries,” Drilon told Galvez.
Various local business groups, wary of the economic fallout of COVID-19, have appealed for more vaccines. These were the Iloilo Business Club, the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation, Inc., Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry – Iloilo Chapter, Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Iloilo, Inc., Ayala Business Club-Iloilo, and POPA Agriculture Cooperative./PN
