Biz groups to gov’t: Let private sector use its COVID-19 vaccine supply for boosters

Several business groups on Tuesday called on the government to allow the private sector to use its COVID-19 vaccine supplies to administer booster shots to their workers and the workers' families.

In a joint statement, 26 business organizations argued that the stockpile of vaccines has now reached close to 60 million doses and continues to increase, “as the vaccines are arriving faster than they can be dispensed.”

“We no longer have a shortage, and with a large stockpile, we risk having vaccines expire and go to waste,” the groups said.

Thus, “the undersigned organizations strongly urge the government to allow the private sector to use its COVID vaccines for booster shots to protect their employees and their families.”

Signatories in the joint statement are the following business groups:

• ACI Philippines
• Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines
• Cebu Business Club
• Cebu Leads Foundation
• Chamber of Thrift Banks
• CIBI Foundation Inc.
• European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines
• Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines
• Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry Inc.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Philippines Inc.
• Investment House Association of the Philippines
• IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines

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• Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines
• Management Association of the Philippines
• Money Market Association of the Philippines
• Makati Business Club
• Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc.
• Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines
• Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (GoNegosyo)
• Philippine Life Insurance Association
• Procurement and Supply Institute of Asia
• Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines
• Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines
• Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc.
• Tax Management Association of the Philippines

“The private sector purchase the vaccines to help the government vaccinate as many as possible as soon as possible. We have been ready to do so even as the government imposed priorities when supply was scared,” the groups said.

“With the oversupply, the private sector asks the government to allow it to use these vaccines to take care of their employees and dependents as their contribution to accelerating national vaccination,” they said.

The groups argued that studies showed that COVID vaccine efficacy wanes beyond six months and without boosters, the country risks another surge which could again shut down the economy.

The groups said that the high vaccination rate in Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces and the increasing vaccination rate in the rest of the country have resulted in decline in cases, healthcare usage, among other indicators, which allowed for the  reopening of businesses and restarting of the economy.

“We thus enjoin the government to immediately allow the private sector to use its vaccines,” the groups said. — BM, GMA News