As the leading contenders for the COVID-19 vaccine near the end of their clinical trials, countries worldwide are making all the necessary preparations for their vaccine distribution operations. The Philippine government has also begun making the arrangements for the guidelines to be placed for its effective implementation nationwide.
The Realistic Timeline
In a televised conference held last November 25, our country’s vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. announced that, in the best case scenario, the COVID-19 vaccine may be available for Filipinos by April to June 2021. He then emphasized that for the worst case scenario (which he also coined as the realistic timeline), the government will be able to commence their vaccination plans by late 2021 or early 2022.
Galvez relayed that the government aims to have about 60 to 70 million Filipinos vaccinated within a timespan of 3 – 5 years. This would be around 60% to 70% of the Philippines’ population. He stated that the country is only capable of vaccinating only 20 to 30 million Filipinos per year.
Based on the guidelines set by the DOH and the President, 35 million Filipinos have already been identified for the vaccine priority list. This list includes healthcare providers, frontliners, and essential workers. Filipinos from the poor and indigent communities were also within the list. The roll out of the vaccine will be based on geography as well and is likely to target the areas with high cases of COVID-19.
As we wait for the vaccines to be validated and distributed globally, we must continue our detection and isolation efforts for the positive cases to conduct immediate treatment and minimize the virus’ reach. MEDTEK is an official distributor of equipment and devices for antibody, antigen and PCR testing. For accredited testing organizations and LGUs interested in purchasing this products, please feel free to fill out the form below.
