Galvez: COVID vaccination will start May 2021 barring unforeseen issues

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said COVID-19 vaccination could begin by May 2021 if everything will go as planned.

In a television interview, Galvez was asked about the government's timeline on the inoculation of the vaccines.

"Ang nakikita po natin it depends sa world market, pangalawa sa development talaga ng vaccine maaaprubahan ng FDA kasi kailangan po talaga maaprubahan ng FDA..." Galvez told ANC.

"Ang prediction po ng DOST if everything will go well, ang mangyayari po is by earliest is May..." he added.

Galvez said the Philippine government is targeting to procure an initial 24 million vaccines. He said President Rodrigo Duterte wants to make COVID vaccines accessible to poor communities.

Vaccine storage

At a Laging Handa press briefing, Galvez said one of the main issues that must be addressed in the vaccine roadmap is identifying where the vaccines could be stored.

"Dahil po napakasensitibo po ang storage ng ating mga vaccine, kailangan po talaga magkaroon tayo ng magandang logistics plan kung saan natin ide-deploy na mga hubs," Galvez said.

"Dapat ma-identify po natin ang main storage facilities at saka 'yung mga subsidiary storage kasi po ang ating vaccine tatlong storage portfolio po ang gagawin natin... 'yung tinatawag na two to eight degrees at saka 'yung subzero na -20 at -80 na storages," he added.

Earlier, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government needs to establish a cold chain as vaccines should be stored at sub-zero temperatures.

Roque said only the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City has the facility for vaccine storage.

Galvez was earlier appointed by Duterte to be the point person in the negotiation for the procurement and distribution of vaccines.

The Food and Drug Administration expressed confidence in working with Galvez, who is also the chief implementer of the government's efforts against the pandemic. —LBG/RSJ, GMA News