COVID-19 vaccines not yet affected by rotational power outages in Luzon — Dizon

The government’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout has not been affected by rotational blackouts caused by thin power supply in Luzon, testing czar Vince Dizon said Tuesday.

Vaccines are temperature-sensitive products, thus the need for effective refrigeration systems.

“Based on the report now by the Department of Health, [no vaccine] has been affected because the requirement for the LGUs (local government units) and the different storage facilities is to have backup power,” Dizon said at a Palace news conference.

“That is the very strict requirement for the LGUs.”

Electricity consumers in Luzon may expect rotational brownouts to be implemented for the entire first week of June amid thin power supply resulting from planned and unplanned outages of several power plants, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said Tuesday.

So far, the government is inoculating healthcare workers, senior citizens, and adults with comorbidities. The government aims to begin the vaccination of more workers this month. — RSJ, GMA News