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Hand-carried COVID-19 vaccines delivered to Dumaguete
By JOAHNA LEI CASILAO,GMA News Budget carrier Cebu Pacific on Tuesday transported the first hand-carried vaccine doses against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to Dumaguete.
According to Cebu Pacific, the vaccines were stored in insulated bags with ice blocks to ensure their efficacy. The bags were then placed on a passenger seat beside the caretakers.
“These items were subject to strict security measures and have all passed necessary inspections for acceptable carriage in the cabin,” Cebu Pacific said in a statement.
Cebu Pacific said another batch of vaccine doses is set to be delivered through the same shipment to General Santos on Thursday, July 29.
“We are happy to keep looking for new ways to assist in our nation’s vaccine distribution efforts. We look forward to having more clients avail of this service, which we plan to make regular in the near future,” Alex Reyes, Chief Strategy Officer at Cebu Pacific, said.
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Storage temperature requirements for these brands are the following:
- Pfizer vaccines require -80°C to -60°C, but can be stored for five days at 2 to 8 °C temperature.
- Sputnik V vaccine - requires temperature not exceeding -18°C and stored in a dark place.
- AstraZeneca vaccine - can be stored up to six months between at 2 to 7 °C, normal refrigerator temperatures.
- Sinovac vaccine - requires a temperature of 2 to 8°C .
- Moderna vaccine - has to be stored and shipped frozen; can be stored for 30 days in standard-temperature refrigerators.
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific said this type of special courier service must be pre-arranged and is only ideal for small shipments while large quantities will be accommodated as cargo in the belly of the aircraft. — DVM, GMA News