House sets own inquiry into COVID-19 vaccination program on Jan. 18

The House of Representatives will conduct its own inquiry into the national government's COVID-19 vaccination program on Monday, January 18.

The virtual hearing will be led by the House Committee on Health, headed by Quezon Representative Angelina "Helen" Tan, with invited resource persons involved in the vaccine procurement including Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.

“There have been a lot of differing opinions, mostly from non-medical experts, regarding government-procured vaccines,” Tan said in a statement.

“As such, we would like to hear from the experts themselves to determine facts and figures from a scientific point of view," she added.

The Senate is already conducting its inquiry on the government's vaccination rollout, with another one set for Friday.

Tan believes the House hearing could help Congress determine the concrete legislation actions needed to assist the executive branch in the planned mass vaccination plan.

“Congress will do what it can to help government agencies in arresting the pandemic,” she said.

“We all want to return to our daily routines before COVID-19. As representatives of the people in Congress, we will do our part in making that happen sooner rather than later," he added.

The inquiry stems from the pending resolutions filed before the House health committee, including the one authored by Parañaque Representative Joy Tambunting asking the Department of Health for a comprehensive plan for the distribution of the vaccines.

Sultan Kudarat Representative Princess Rihan Sakaluran also filed a resolution calling on the government to lay down its COVID-19 vaccination plan to ensure a "just, fair, and equal" vaccine dissemination.

Apart from Duque and Galvez, the House also invited representatives from the Food and Drug Administration, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Health Technology Assessment Council, Department of Science and Technology, and World Health Organization.

The Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Foreign Affairs, and Department of National Defense were also invited to attend the hearing.

Also attending the hearing are medical experts from civic organizations including the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, Philippine Medical Association, Philippine Nurses Association and Philippine Association of Medical Technologists.

The Philippines targets to inoculate 50 to 70 million individuals within the year, and an estimated 50,000 is expected to be vaccinated in February.

Galvez earlier said the vaccine manufactured by American corporation Pfizer could be the first that will be used against COVID-19 in the country as the COVAX Facility will have an early rollout of the said brand.—LDF, GMA News