The first batch of coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech will be distributed to several hospitals across Metro Manila as well as certain healthcare facilities in Cebu and Davao, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Tuesday.
Interviewed on CNN-Philippines, Vergeire said Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines will go to several other hospitals apart from the country’s main COVID-19 referral centers.
The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said all staff of the Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium, and East Avenue Medical Center will be inoculated first
“It’s not just those four hospitals that we’re going to provide these vaccines with. We are going to provide other DOH-designated hospitals for COVID and that would include specific hospitals in Cebu and also in Davao,” Vergeire said.
Doses from the first batch will also be given to DOH hospitals serving as COVID-19 referral centers, big hospitals of local government units, and five private hospitals, all of which are in Metro Manila, she added.
“We’re talking about 58,500 doses because we need to reserve the second dose of all of these healthcare workers that will be initially given by Pfizer,” Vergeire explained.
Authorities are still awaiting confirmation on the delivery date of the first batch of vaccines from the World Health Organization-led COVAX Facility.
The Philippines expects to receive 117,000 doses from Pfizer-BioNTech this month.
“Last week we had this information that we would have an indicative date [that] it might be coming by February 13. So if ever these will come on February 13, three days after, we will begin the rollout,” Vergeire said.
“The dates that I mentioned are still indicative. It will still depend on the confirmation that will be given by the COVAX Facility.”
The Philippines has logged 538,995 COVID-19 infections with 499,772 recoveries and 11,231 deaths as of Monday afternoon.