All Department of Health (DOH) regional offices in the country have received their first batch of supply of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, according to Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega.
Vega said during an interview with dzBB that regional health offices are assigned to distribute the supply to various local public and private hospitals in their area.
“Lahat ng regions ng Department of Health, nakatanggap na lalo na ‘yung Sinovac. Naipamahagi na rin ito sa lahat ng mga LGU, public at private (hospitals) across all regions,” he added.
The number of hospitals requesting for vaccine supply has been rising, noting that the problem has changed from demand for vaccines to supply.
Around 600,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine from Sinovac donated by China arrived in the country last February 28.
The government launched its inoculation drive on March 1.
Furthermore, a total of 487,200 doses of the Covid-19 vaccines by Oxford University and British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca also reached the country under the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility on March 4.
Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said that they are expecting 38,400 doses from AstraZeneca to arrive on Sunday.
The first batch of recipients of the government’s inoculation drive covers healthcare workers as the priority. Ronald dela Cruz