A measure that is aimed at speeding up procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccine was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte.
A confirmation for this came from the President’s former special assistant Senator Bong Go, and Palace spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday.
“Indeed, we remain committed in our fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and we are using necessary means, such as the enactment of this Republic Act, certified urgent by the President, as a way to start our vaccine rollout,” Roque said.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021 also allocates ₱500 million for the COVID-19 National Vaccine Immunity Fund to compensate those who may experience adverse side effects or die after vaccination.
The fund, which will be sourced from the contingent fund, will be handled by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
The Department of Health will also issue vaccine cards containing basic information about the individual, manufacturer and brand of the vaccine received, date it was administered, date of last swab test, where the vaccination took place, and the name of the health professionals who administered the vaccine.
Pursuant to the new law, LGUs and the private sector will be allowed to buy doses through multilateral agreement with the Department of Health, the National Task Force, and the vaccine supplier.
