DAVAO CITY — Residents here are now an inch closer to having Coid-19 vaccine.
This after Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Friday, January 8, virtually met online with the United Kingdom (UK) manufacturer AstraZeneca, where she got the commitment to give the city the opportunity to procure vaccines from the later.
Duterte-Carpio in a press statement released by the City Information Office on Saturday, January 9 stated that there is no budget ceiling for COVID-19 vaccines being planned for purchase for the targeted 1.2 million of the total 1.8 million Dabawenyos once the COVID-19 immunization program rolls out in the city.
The statement added “We already signed the non-disclosure agreement. Nakakuha nata og commitment na hatagan ta opportunity makapalit og bakuna sa ilaha gamit ang kwarta sa city government of Davao (We got their commitment to give us the opportunity to procure vaccines from them through the city government of Davao funds),” the mayor said.
The city, according to Dutetre will not directly purchase the vaccines from the manufacturer but through the national government but through a tripartite agreement with the national government.
Since no vaccine maker can deliver the vaccines that would cover the 1.2 million Dabawenyos, the number, which experts said is needed for the city to achieve herd immunity from the deadly coronavirus, the vaccines will be delivered by tranches or batches from various manufacturers, it added.
“Assuming that with a population of 1.8 million, so 1.2 million kinahanglan mabakunahan. Assuming tag two doses ang vaccines, so 2.4 million vaccines tanan, walay makadeliver ana to any city by any vaccine maker. Atong buhaton makig-istorya ta sa daghan kaayong vaccine makers, especially sa mga dunay intent nga mu apply for EUA or product certification diri sa atoa sa Pilipinas (Assuming that we have a population of 1.8 million, we need to immunize 1.2 million. If each vaccine has two doses, we would need 2.4 million vaccines and no manufacturer can deliver that to any city. We will talk to as many vaccine makers, especially those who have intent to apply for emergency use authorization or product certification in the Philippines),” she explained.
