COVID-19 vaccination may take up to 5 years, 35M Pinoys on priority list: official

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/11/25/health-coronavirus-germany-vaccine.jpg"/><figcaption>The word &quot;COVID-19&quot; is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration taken Nov. 9, 2020. Dado Ruvic, Illustration/File</figcaption></figure></div><p><br/><br/> <br/>MANILA — The government may take up to 5 years to finish its vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus, with 35 million Filipinos on the priority list, an official leading the country&#x27;s pandemic response said Wednesday. </p><p>The Philippines is eyeing coronavirus vaccine supplies from 5 to 6 countries and hopes to &quot;unlock&quot; the funds for this by December, said Secretary Carlito Galves Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19. </p><p>The Food and Drug Administration is expected to finish studying the vaccines&#x27; clinical trials in the first quarter of 2021, he said in a government public briefing. </p><p>The &quot;best case scenario&quot; for the vaccine rollout&#x27;s schedule is the second quarter of 2021 while the &quot;worst or realistic&quot; scenario is the end of or early 2022, said Galvez. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/20/20/pandemic-still-a-long-enduring-battle-even-after-vaccines-arrive-says-official">Pandemic &#x27;still a long, enduring&#x27; battle even after vaccines arrive, says official</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1ThdImKGG9Y?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a>  <em> Video courtesy of PTV</em></div><p>The government can vaccinate up to 20 million people per year, he said. </p><p>&quot;Sa vaccination po natin ng (in our vaccination of) more or less 60 to 70 million [people], we will do this in a 3 to 5-year period,&quot; he added. </p><p>The Philippines will employ a <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/24/20/philippines-to-use-geographical-sectoral-strategy-for-covid-19-vaccine-distribution">geographical and sectoral strategy</a> for distributing the future coronavirus vaccine, Malacañang said Tuesday, some 8 months into varying degrees of lockdown to curb the pandemic. </p><p>Priority will be given to COVID-19 &quot;hotspots&quot; such as Metro Manila, Davao City and Bacolod City, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. </p><p>From these areas, indigents, vulnerable sectors, health workers, soldiers, police officers and other frontliners will be targeted for inoculation, he said. </p><p>Around 35 million people are in the government&#x27;s vaccination &quot;priority list,&quot; including health care workers, soldiers, policemen, essential workers from the government, vulnerable communities, and indigents, Galvez said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/25/20/philippines-eyes-herd-immunity-with-covid-vaccination-plan">Philippines eyes herd immunity with COVID vaccination plan</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/24/20/duterte-says-need-for-healthy-police-military-in-covid-19-vaccine-rollout">Duterte says need for &#x27;healthy police, military&#x27; in COVID-19 vaccine rollout</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/11/24/20/frontliners-should-be-prioritized-once-covid-19-vaccine-becomes-available-expert">Frontliners should be prioritized once COVID-19 vaccine becomes available: expert</a></li></ul><p>Last week, Duterte approved advance payment to private vaccine developers to ensure that the Philippines would get a supply of the drug. He is also set to authorize emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, said Roque. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/24/20/palace-hush-contract-covers-advance-fee-for-coronavirus-vaccine ">Palace: Hush contract covers advance fee for coronavirus vaccine </a></li></ul><p>The Philippines has tallied 421,722 coronavirus infections, 26,745 of which were active as of Tuesday. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/infographic/03/17/20/tracking-covid-19-cases-in-the-philippines ">Tracking COVID-19 cases in the Philippines</a></li></ul><div><br/> </div>

<p>The government may take up to 5 years to finish its vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus, with 35 million Filipinos in the priority list, an official leading the country's pandemic response said Wednesday. </p>

The government may take up to 5 years to finish its vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus, with 35 million Filipinos in the priority list, an official leading the country's pandemic response said Wednesday.

COVID-19 vaccination may take up to 5 years, 35M Pinoys on priority list: official | ABS-CBN

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COVID-19 vaccination may take up to 5 years, 35M Pinoys on priority list: official

COVID-19 vaccination may take up to 5 years, 35M Pinoys on priority list: official

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 25, 2020 01:53 PM PHT

|

Updated Nov 25, 2020 01:59 PM PHT

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