Video courtesy of the Department of Health

MANILA — The Department of Health on Wednesday said it still does not have a confirmed date for the arrival of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines and when inoculations may begin.

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“The COVAX Facility initially told us by 2nd or 3rd of February. Now this February 15 is an indicative date,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a virtual briefing.

The COVAX Facility is a global initiative, composed of groups including the World Health Organization, that aims for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world.

“Wala pa tayong confirmed dates as to when are we going to start.
Definitely 'pag dumating 'yung bakuna after 2 to 3 days we will start the deployment already. We will start the vaccination already makatapos dumating dito,” Vergeire said.

(We still do not have the confirmed dates as to when are we going to start. Definitely, when the vaccine arrives, after 2 to 3 days we will start deployment already. We will start the vaccination already after it arrives.)

The country will get some 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX Facility in the first quarter, including 117,000 doses of the Pfizer jabs, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said.

The government has been preparing for the arrival of the vaccines to ensure that they are kept in good quality and in proper temperature levels while being transported to different storage facilities.

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