Funds enough for COVID-19 vaccines, says Dizon

The Philippines has enough funds to finance its vaccination program against the coronavirus disease 2019, National Action Plan Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vivencio "Vince" Dizon said Wednesday, even as a significant portion will be secured from loans.

"Absolutely we do have enough funds for the target number of doses and number of vaccinations with everything, all in na po 'yun -- services, ancillary, supplies, and equipment, etcetera," he said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay Forum streamed online.

The Philippines has allocated some P82.5 billion for the procurement of the vaccines, as the DOF earlier said the amount includes P40 billion coming from multilateral agencies, P20 billion from domestic sources, and P13.2 billion from bilateral agreements.

"I think what needs to be pointed out na hindi masyadong napaguusapan when we talk about the cost of vaccine, we really need to compare the cost of the vaccine and the vaccination program to the cost of living in a situation with COVID-19, preventing our economy from fully functioning," said Dizon.

"Kung ang cost halimbawa ng total vaccination program natin ay sabihin na nating P80 billion, kailangan nating intindihan 'yung P80 billion na 'yun. Ano ba ang cost na hindi tayo magbabakuna at tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang hirap ng ating mga kababayan at ng ekonomiya," he added.

COVID-19 policy chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the Philippines targets to vaccinate some 50 to 70 million Filipinos from COVID-19 this year.

Galvez this month also inked a term sheet to secure some 30 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Covovax, set to arrive in the country by the third quarter of 2021.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also said the country has secured some 25 million doses of the vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinovac, even as the medicine has less efficacy and more expensive than others. The first batch is scheduled to arrive in February.

Amid questions over its seeming "preference" for Sinovac, the government said that it does not favor any company and that the Sinovac vaccine is safe.

Meanwhile, the private sector has committed to procuring as much as 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, half of which will be donated to the Philippine government. — RSJ, GMA News