DOH: COVID-19 vaccine supply just the tip of immunization challenges

Ensuring there is enough COVID-19 vaccines for all Filipinos is just one of the many challenges in immunizing the nation against the coronavirus, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said implementing the unprecedented COVID-19 vaccination program is another level of difficulty because the demand is just as crucial as the supply.

“Lagi namang may challenges. We have been implementing national immunization program for decades, and our system is still not perfect kasi maraming factors when you do immunization. Aside from supply side, andiyan iyong  demand side," Vergeire said.

“Iyong vaccination, kailangan siguraduhin na alam ng tao bakit siya binabakunahan, ano ang harmful effects, ano ang benepisyo. Ang unang unang titignan natin would be the confidence of the people on the vaccination effort,” Vergeire added.

It was not long ago in November 2018 when Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the confidence of the public on the government’s vaccination program has dropped to 33% from 92% due to the controversy involving anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

This was because officials of Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi announced in November 2017 that the Dengvaxia vaccine posed a risk to those who were not infected by dengue prior to being injected with the vaccine. Sanofi’s announcement, however, only came after the vaccine has already been administered to over 700,000 children and even policemen.

There were children who were vaccinated with Dengvaxia and died, but there has been no medical conclusion if their deaths were caused by Dengvaxia.

Cold reality

Once the population's confidence is secured, Vergeire said that the people should be able to see the need to be vaccinated.

It doesn't get easier from there, considering that the logistics needed in securing vaccines against COVID-19 is not all readily available across the country.

“Ang pangatlong challenge iyong logistics. Gusto natin lahat mabakunahan ang lahat ng populasyon, kaya lang alam naman natin na restricted ang supply. Lahat ng bansa, gustong makakuha nito. Kaya we will prioritize certain populations, at may mga bakuna ngayon sa merkado na kailangan ng highly-technical resources [for storage],” Vergeire pointed out.

“Tulad po nitong ultra-low freezer na kailangan ng dalawang bakuna ngayon sa merkado. Meron po tayo niyan (ultra low freezer), pero kailangan nating makausap [muna] ang maraming ahensiya at kailangan mailagay natin ito sa strategic locations,” Vergeire added.

Health workers who will administer the vaccination, Vergeire said, should also be highly-trained.

“Iyong dala-dala nilang resources, dapat tama at sukat [sa pangangailangan]. Kung meron ka ngang [freezer na] -70 [degrees celsius ang temperatura], pag pupunta ka sa communities paano mo dadalhin?” Vergeire said.

“Kasi iyong mga [vaccine storage na] 2 to 8 [degrees celsius ang temperatura] natin, nadadala natin ‘yan  sa communities pero maliit lang ‘yan, iyong handy storage. Iyong -70 [degrees celsius], wala pa tayong ganun [ka-handy],” Vergeire added.

Without a handy ultra-low storage for vaccines, Vergeire said that a remedy could be having an ultra-low freezer storage facility in a certain area where people would need to come to so they can get vaccinated—a situation which could limit access to the vaccine.

“Kung sakaling magkaroon tayo ng handy na ultra low freezer storage, good. Pero kung wala, you will have to have a fixed post [for the vaccine storage], ang tao ang pupunta sa ‘yo [para sa bakuna]. With this strategy, nakikita natin na may disadvantage kasi iyong iba baka tatamarin na sila pumunta sa facility kesa doon sa house-to-house [na pagbabakuna],” Vergeire said.

Lastly, Vergeire said that those who will get vaccinated should still be strictly monitored for possible adverse effects.

“Kailangan natin ma-track ang epekto ng bakuna sa mga tao, kaya naghahanda tayo to address this challenges para maging smooth ang ating implementation,” Vergeire added.

The Duterte administration has earmarked P2.5 billion for procurement of COVID-19 vaccines under the proposed 2021 budget, but the DOH said that such a budget is short by P10 billion.

President Rodrigo Duterte also appointed National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief Carlito Galvez, Jr. as vaccine czar to ensure smooth implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination program, citing Galvez’s military background with logistics as key. -NB, GMA News