The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday debunked allegations of favoritism in the allocation of a certain brand of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines to Davao Region.
The government allocates doses based on need and the priority framework, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at a press briefing.
“There are no favorites. We don’t think of a particular place that will be given doses of a specific brand of vaccine.”
Davao, the home region of President Rodrigo Duterte, received 210,600 doses of the Pfizer vaccine coming from the World Health Organization’s COVAX Facility, while other regions in Mindanao received fewer.
The Bicol, Mimaropa, Soccksargen, Caraga, and Bangsamoro regions have no cold storage facilities yet that could handle the vaccine’s temperature requirements which should be in ultra-low temperature freezers to avoid expiry, DOH said.
The Bangsamoro government, however, is procuring ultra-low temperature freezers through a resolution, the DOH said.
Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Sunday sait the Philippines had signed a supply deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for the procurement of 40 million doses, funded by the Asian Development Bank.
The vaccines will be delivered starting August this year, Galvez added. Ronald Espartinez
