Pfizer syringes to arrive on December 2 –NVOC

The syringes for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine procured by the government through the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will start to arrive on Thursday, National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Myrna Cabotaje announced on Wednesday.

Cabotaje, who is also a health undersecretary, said it is part of the 44 million syringes ordered three months ago.

“The Pfizer syringes that we have ordered from UNICEF are arriving on December 2 in tranches - mga four million in the next couple of the days, and then afterwards may sunod sunod na dadating po sa 44 million na inorder po natin mga two or three months ago,” Cabotaje said in Laging Handa press briefing.

The NVOC chairperson also clarified that the country has only scarcity of Pfizer syringe, adding that syringe supplies in other brands are available in vaccination centers.

“Let us clarify that ang problema lang natin sa syringe ay yung Pfizer syringe. Yung ibang syringes po ay available,” she noted.

(Let us clarify that our only problem with the syringe is the Pfizer syringe. The syringes for other brands are available.)

Meanwhile, NTF medical adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa said the task force is also looking into the distribution of Pfizer vaccines to highly-populated areas in the country as an additional 1,078,740 doses of government-procured Pfizer vaccine arrived on Wednesday night.

Herbosa also confirmed that four million syringes for the Pfizer vaccine will be arriving on December 2.

“The arrival of the syringes, I was talking to our UNICEF colleagues this afternoon as the COVAX vaccines arrived, they are saying the four million syringes for Pfizer are arriving tomorrow, December 2,” he said.

The task force has adjusted its target vaccination output for the three-day vaccination drive from 15 million to nine million due to shortage in ancillary supplies, particularly syringes.

According to the government data, at least five million individuals were vaccinated during the first two days of the nationwide vaccination drive.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the task force will recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte to extend the national vaccination drive until Friday.

The country started its vaccination program on March 1.—LDF, GMA News