Amid the controversy surrounding the “alleged” botched COVID-19 drug deals, vaccine Czar and COVID-19 task force chief implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. assured Filipinos that the Philippines remains on track in its vaccine procurement plans.
“We want to assure our countrymen that we are on track in the implementation of our Philippine National Vaccine Roadmap and there have been maybe some delays in our negotiations but still we were able to make up,” he said.
The country’s vaccine team targets a done deal with manufacturers by year-end or January 2021, opening the doors to the initial planned rollout of dosages to the country by the first quarter.
“We are confident that given the timeline of production, initial deliveries will be made by March of next year and the inoculation program may commence within that period.”
This assurance was given after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin revealed that someone “dropped the ball” on a vaccine procurement deal with US drugmaker Pfizer for ten million doses, an arrangement he brokered with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Philippine Ambassador to the US Babe Romualdez.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson later claimed it was Health Secretary Francisco Duque who was responsible for the mishandling of deal allegedly due to inaction on necessary requirements.
