Gov't task force allows service provider to manage COVID-19 vaccination info system

MANILA — The inter-agency task force leading the country's pandemic response has authorized the hiring of a third-party service provider to manage information related to the vaccination drive against COVID-19, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

The IATF, which met on Tuesday, allowed the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) procure the services of the the third-party firm "to ensure the accurate, timely and efficient distribution and administration of the COVID-19 vaccines," said Palace spokesman Harry Roque.

The firm will "cater to all services pertaining to the design approval, IT project implementation, and service management of the Philippine COVID-19 Vaccine Information Management System (VIMS)," he said in a statement.

"The DICT is likewise given authority to formulate the standards to ascertain the qualifications of the third-party service provider in undertaking the required services in the VIM," he added.

The information system shall include citizen vaccination capture and automation, reporting, and analytics, among others, said Roque.

"It shall be the key process automation and data capture, storage, processing, and analytics system for the immunization and administration and supply chain management of the COVID-19 vaccines," he said.

With some 516,000 coronavirus cases, the Philippines is among the worst affected countries in Asia.

The Philippines aims to vaccinate up to 70 million people this year, with the first jabs set to arrive in February.

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