Galvez said sturdier pallets needed to prevent shaking of vaccine vials —DOH

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said sturdier pallets are needed to prevent the shaking of vials containing coronavirus vaccines, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Galvez and other officials met earlier in the day to discuss the vaccine simulation held on Tuesday. 

Galvez earlier said there was a need to minimize the movement of the vaccines after noting that the pallet shook on the airport lifter during the dry run. 

“Ito namang pag-shake, sabi nila would be something na manageable pa and acceptable, although sabi ni Secretary Galvez kanina, dapat siguro magkaroon ng mas stable na pinaglalagyan, pati ‘yung mga pallet sinasabi niya ay kailangan… mas sturdy,” Vergeire said.

“Definitely minimal [movement] lang as much as possible,” she added. “‘Yung effect niya sa paggalaw, ‘yung effect niya sa temperature, dapat lahat ‘yan at the minimum lang.”

A vaccine simulation was staged to avoid wastage.

The exercise started with the arrival of dummy vaccines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and ended with their delivery to various hospitals.

The first batch of vaccines, which is expected to arrive this month, will be spread out across hospitals in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao. 

The Philippines has logged 540,227 COVID-19 cases with 499,764 recoveries and 11,296 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon. —KG, GMA News