MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Act of 2021 at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Friday, February 26.
The said law would expedite the procurement and administration of vaccines for the protection against COVID-19.
It also covers the creation of an indemnity fund to cover compensation for those who would experience serious adverse effects to the vaccine.
The President was accompanied by Senator Christopher Lawrence Go during the signing of new act.
Philippines awaits vaccine deliveries
While the country awaits the delivery of the vaccines, the President said Filipinos must fortify its defenses. He wants local government units (LGUs) to play a crucial role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 particularly through wide use of face masks.
President Duterte hopes governors, mayors, and barangay officials to carry out strict mask mandate, appealing to them to shell out money to give masks for free especially to the poor.
“The provincial government and the municipal governments and the city governments, I require you to buy and give it for free,” he said.
The government expects to receive 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines donated by the Chinese government. It plans to begin mass inoculation as soon as it gets the initial vaccine deliveries.
Aside from the Chinese donation, the government is also awaiting the delivery of 3.5 million doses of vaccines manufactured by AstraZeneca and Pfizer. It was arranged through the COVAX Facility, a global alliance that seeks to help poor countries vaccinate their populations.
Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the country’s vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, reported that the Philippines will receive a total of 5.1 million vaccine doses in the first quarter of this year.
Some 24.1 million doses, coming from COVAX and government procurements, will also be delivered to the Philippines in the second quarter, he said.
— The Summit Express
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| The President was accompanied by Senator Christopher Lawrence Go during the signing of COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act. |
The said law would expedite the procurement and administration of vaccines for the protection against COVID-19.
It also covers the creation of an indemnity fund to cover compensation for those who would experience serious adverse effects to the vaccine.
The President was accompanied by Senator Christopher Lawrence Go during the signing of new act.
Philippines awaits vaccine deliveries
While the country awaits the delivery of the vaccines, the President said Filipinos must fortify its defenses. He wants local government units (LGUs) to play a crucial role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 particularly through wide use of face masks.
President Duterte hopes governors, mayors, and barangay officials to carry out strict mask mandate, appealing to them to shell out money to give masks for free especially to the poor.
“The provincial government and the municipal governments and the city governments, I require you to buy and give it for free,” he said.
The government expects to receive 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines donated by the Chinese government. It plans to begin mass inoculation as soon as it gets the initial vaccine deliveries.
Aside from the Chinese donation, the government is also awaiting the delivery of 3.5 million doses of vaccines manufactured by AstraZeneca and Pfizer. It was arranged through the COVAX Facility, a global alliance that seeks to help poor countries vaccinate their populations.
Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the country’s vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, reported that the Philippines will receive a total of 5.1 million vaccine doses in the first quarter of this year.
Some 24.1 million doses, coming from COVAX and government procurements, will also be delivered to the Philippines in the second quarter, he said.
— The Summit Express
