Gov't missed opportunity to obtain 50 million syringes from US –Locsin

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. revealed on Saturday that the Philippines passed up the chance to obtain 50 million syringes from the United States.

“We dropped the ball again; this time offer of 50 million syringes,” Locsin said on Twitter.

He said government agencies refused to discuss the matter.

“Discussed the need in Washington DC and got a response prepared to go into details with PH agencies but they refused to discuss the ball let alone catch it. First Pfizer, then Moderna. Ok, I see the pattern,” he added.

"Far as I'm concerned it's finished; but if you want a fight, Ph DOH's offer of 4.7 cents a syringe is hallucinatory; no one on the planet makes special PFIZER LOW DEAD VOLUME SYRINGES that cheap; 7 cents is the absolute lowest. UNICEF pays double. Make all purchases public," Locsin said. 

Earlier, Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center chairperson Myrna Cabotaje said there was a sufficient supply of syringes for COVID-19 vaccines until the end of the year, adding that the syringes procured by the government through the United Nations Children's Fund started to arrive in the country.

At least 44 million syringes were ordered three months ago, but in the first tranche of four million, only two million syringes arrived in the country. The remaining two million syringes are expected to be delivered next week.

Cabotaje said that it was possible that the remaining 40 million syringes will arrive next year.

Last December 2020, Locsin also revealed that 10 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer were supposed to be delivered to the Philippines in January but somebody made a mistake.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III defended himself from accusations that he cost the country’s early access to the Pfizer vaccine.

He said the required confidentiality disclosure agreement (CDA) with Pfizer was originally intended to be signed by the Office of the President (OP) and not the Department of Health. — DVM/VBL, GMA News