PRESIDENT DUTERTE TO CERTIFY AS URGENT BILLS FAST TRACKING COVID-19 VACCINE NEGOTIATIONS, DELIVERIES President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has expressed his readiness Monday, February 15, to certify as urgent the passage of bills creating an indemnification agreement and advance market commitment to speed up coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine negotiations and deliveries.
vaccine czar added.
In his report to President Duterte, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the country is finalizing the preparations for the massive vaccination program, noting that stakeholders are just awaiting the signing of an indemnification clause as well as advance market commitment.
Apart from the indemnification agreement, Galvez said they are also waiting for local government units’ (LGUs) approval of the Gavi COVAX advance market commitment (AMC), an investment mechanism supporting low-income countries get access to COVID-19 vaccines.
An indemnification clause refers to the agreement reached between stakeholders identifying the party that would take responsibility in case those receiving the jabs experienced adverse side effects.
and companies to proceed with the nationwide inoculation. These include securing an emergency use authorization (EUA) for vaccines as well as providing necessary documents to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVAX Facility and Gavi, he said. The country is expecting to receive up to 3 million vaccine doses by the end February from the COVAX Facility, a global alliance seeking to help poor countries vaccinate their population against the deadly coronavirus.
Pfizer, Sinovac, Moderna Therapeutics, Novavax, “Kasi po ngayon na-iGalvez said he is currently Johnson & Johnson, accomplish na natin communicating with AstraZeneca, CanSino ‘yong ating tinatawag lawmakers, particularly with Biologics Inc. and Gamaleya na documentation. Ang Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, Research Institute are kailangan na lang po to fast-track the passage among the pharmaceutical nila is mapirmahan ‘yong of the two pending bills. companies that the tinatawag na indemnification Senator Go said the President Philippines is negotiating agreement,” Galvez told the may certify the measures as with to procure COVID-19 President during a meeting urgent this week. vaccines. on government’s COVID-19 interventions. Assuring the President The Department of Health that Philippines is on top (DOH) has recorded 1,685 “Kung magkasundo na po sa of COVID-19 vaccine new COVID-19 infections indemnification agreement, program preparations, on February 15, bringing the wala na po tayong hadlang Galvez said they have total number of cases in the kasi mayroon na po tayong already fulfilled requirements country to 550, 860 with 511, preparation. Okay na po and agreements with 755 recoveries and 11, 517 ang preparation natin,” the international organizations deaths. PND
Caraga INFOCUS
February 13-19, 2021 |
49
