PH gov’t gears up for 2021 nat’l immunization vs COVID-19

The National Task Force against COVID-19 has released a new memorandum on January 26 detailing the government’s deployment and vaccination plan for the year 2021 as international vaccine rollouts begin, an article by the CNN Philippines reported.

Complete with evaluation, funding, distribution, and monitoring information, the approved Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Infectious Diseases Resolution No. 95 will be adopted by all implementing agencies from the national to the local level.

“[This approach] will ensure the successes of the national vaccine deployment program in delivering safe, effective and accessible vaccines for all Filipinos,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in the document’s foreword.

Meanwhile, chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. reiterated that the plan is in line with the IATF’s goal to achieve herd immunity by vaccinating 50 million to 70 million Filipinos by the year-end.

Vaxx in Line

The said memo also disclosed the eleven vaccines up for consideration by the government panel which includes the controversial Sinovac and Sinopharm brands as well as the other foreign-developed Novavax and Clover.

In an article by Kyle Atienza on Business World, it was reported that more than 100,000 doses of vaccines from Pfizer and 9.2 million doses from AstraZeneca, which are both approved for emergency use, will arrive in the Philippines by the first half of 2021.

This immunization initiative is aided by the World Health Organization in an effort to achieve equal access globally and end the pandemic once and for all.

Budget and Beneficiaries

According to the resolution, the 82.5 billion peso-budget has been fleshed out with the 2.5 billion serving as an addition to the Department of Health’s annual budget and the 10 billion for funding the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act 2, while the remaining 70 billion is allotted for the acquisition of vaccines.

For the recipients of these shots, however, the IATF noted that the population has been divided into three groups with Group A composed of health workers, senior citizens, the indigent, and uniformed personnel being the top priority.

“The plan also bares the surveillance of adverse effects of the vaccine, to be done by a surveillance officer, who is part of the composite team assigned in the post-vaccination monitoring area,” the memo explained.

A History of Hysteria

Amidst the vaccination program, however, former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral called for the appointment of health experts as leaders of the country’s information campaign during the pandemic, claiming that the masses will trust these professionals more than “politicians and attorneys,” another report by the CNN Philippines stated.

Cabral highlighted that the previous Dengvaxxia controversy sparked by Public Attorney’s Office Chief Persida Acosta has put the reputation of scientists in jeopardy, even to the point of alleged harassment by Senate officials.

“I think that our health care providers should be playing a major role in the information campaign because they are the ones most trusted by people when they deliver health information,” she said.

Just recently, a Pulse Asia survey revealed that almost half of the populace rejected the idea of vaccination citing the “findings” of the said event.

‘Stay at Home’ Stays

Despite the hope offered by the immunization project, however, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles warned the public that lockdowns will not be lifted even after its implementation.

The secretary explained that achieving herd immunity within the Filipino population will take some time and that easing quarantines will solely depend on the recommendations of the authorities and health experts.

“Once the vaccines take effect and cases fall, we will consider easing the quarantines,” Nograles stated.

As for the economy, the government expects a 6.5% to 7.5% growth this year, which is perfectly timed with the vaccine rollout, following the previous recession in 2020.