Galvez vows all LGUs will receive COVID-19 vaccines

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said that all local government units (LGUs) will have access to COVID-19 vaccines.

In a press conference, Galvez was asked if 100 percent of LGUs will have COVID-19 vaccines as the government targets to secure 148 million doses of vaccine this year.

“Ang pangako po ng ating mahal na Presidente ay the vaccine will be free for all Filipinos. So lahat ng LGUs, wala tayong iiwanan. Walang maiiwan. 'Yun po ang pangako namin,” Galvez said.

Out of the country's population—expected to reach 110.8 million this year—Galvez said that the supply can cover 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year.

“Next year we will have a second wave,” he noted.

Recently, several local government units, mostly cities, have been securing their own supplies of COVID-19 vaccines through deals with manufacturers. Among these are:

• Baguio City
• Caloocan City
• Iloilo City
• Makati City
• Mandaluyong City
• Manila
• Navotas City

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• Pasig City
• Quezon City
• San Juan
• Taguig City
• Valenzuela City
• Vigan City

At least 61 cities plan to buy COVID-19 vaccines for their residents, the League of Cities of the Philippines said on Monday.

The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) on Tuesday said that some provincial governments are also readying their own funds to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for their respective constituents.

Earlier, the Department of Interior and Local Government said all LGUs are already included in the national government’s COVID-19 vaccination program, whether or not they have allocated funds for the procurement of their own supply of vaccines.

The national government signed a term sheet for 30 million doses of the Novavax-Serum Institute of India vaccine Covovax, and secured 25 million doses of CoronaVac, the vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinovac. — BM, GMA News