Coronavirus vaccine may be ready in second half of 2021: Galvez

By Prince Golez

With the recent approval of the country’s coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine roadmap, National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. believes that a vaccine could be rolled out between May and July next year.

Galvez made this assessment during the graduation ceremony for police officers who completed their Public Safety Field Training Saturday.

“Tinitingnan natin kung magkakaroon tayo ng best-case scenario. By May or July, we will have the vaccine rollout in the Philippines. Realistically, we can do that in 2 to 3 years,” he said.

Last Thursday, Galvez presented the vaccine roadmap and its implementation plan to President Rodrigo Duterte and the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases during a meeting in Malacañang.

According to him, the roadmap, which is composed of seven stages, is anchored on a “whole-of-nation approach” that will fully utilize the gamut of government’s manpower, resources, and expertise.

The seven stages include scientific evaluation and selection; access and acquisition; procurement and financing process; production, shipment, and storage; distribution and deployment; implementation and nation-wide vaccination; and assessment, evaluation, and monitoring.

In a separate interview, Galvez noted that there are hundreds of candidate vaccines that are awaiting approval by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The government is now focusing on the 17 candidates and top candidates now in the advanced stages of trials and those which joined the WHO solidarity trials with the Philippines, he said.

The official added that the Philippines will prioritize Covid-19 vaccines developed by allied countries due to “direct line access to these countries,” stressing that the modality for the negotiations will be done through a bilateral arrangement with other government.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)