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Press Release - Gov’t to implement “focus and expand” strategy -- Galvez

DAVAO CITY --- The government will be adopting a “focus and expand” strategy as it ramps up the implementation of the National Vaccination Program.
 
In his report during the Talk to the People TV program on May 10, National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Sec. Carlito G. Galvez Jr. said this strategy aims to widen the program’s “center of gravity.”
 
Center of gravity
 
“Iyong center of gravity po ito, ito po ‘yong tinatawag natin na economic centers, at the same time, ito po ‘yong mga vulnerable areas,” Galvez told President Rodrigo Duterte.
 
Utilizing this strategy, he said the government will be channeling its vaccine resources to high-risk areas throughout the country that are experiencing spikes in infections, particularly urban and economic centers.
 
“So pagka na-address po natin, na-strengthen natin ang ating vulnerabilities at the same time, we strengthen our economic strength, iyon po ang center of gravity po natin,” Galvez said.
 
According to the vaccine czar, these areas include the NCR plus the six provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal, as well as Metro Cebu and Metro Davao. 
 
“For example, kung ang Manila nangangailangan ng 3.3 million kada buwan, talagang eksakto po na mayroon po siya talaga na supply na steady na 3.3 million,” Galvez said.
 
“Kung ang Davao kailangan niya ng 250,000 a month, ibibigay po natin po ‘yon parang stockpile niya para at least hindi po magkaroon ng shortage at maging maganda ‘yong kanyang rollout at wala pong delay,” he added.
 
Galvez said that as the government addresses the surge of COVID-19 infections within this center of gravity, it will then move on to “contiguous” areas and other economic hubs regions nationwide.
 
“And then ‘yong mga expansion area natin, ito ‘yong mga tinatawag nating mga important contiguous area ng NCR at the same ito rin po ‘yong mga economic center,” he said.
 
“So Region III, Region IV, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio City, Zamboanga City, Bacolod, Iloilo, GenSan, Iligan and also ‘yong mga Region X hanggang CARAGA po,” Galvez added.
 
A better Christmas
 
He said the government wants Filipinos to have a “better Christmas” this year, which he said can be achieved through “herd containment” and herd immunity.
 
Under herd containment, Galvez said the government has to inoculate at least 25 to 50 million Filipinos by September 2021 to reduce hospitalization and deaths by covering the A1, A2 and A3 priority sectors.
 
On the other hand, he said building the country’s herd immunity will entail the vaccination of around 58 to 70 million individuals by November this year to further prevent and contain the spread of the disease.
 
“So kung titingnan po natin ‘yong mga center of gravities po natin, instead na ita-target natin ‘yong 110 million, ita-target lang natin ‘yong tinatawag nating 83,829,719. Ang kanyang 70 percent 58,680,803,” Galvez said.
 
And by immunizing about 110 million of the country’s population by the second quarter of 2022, he said,the government hopes to put an end to the disease and rebuild the nation’s economy.
 
“Ito 'yong tinatawag nating prevent and contain. And then once na we have already have the science that we can give the vaccine even to the children, we will target the 110 million population,” Galvez said.
 
Boosting logistical capacity
 
Galvez said the government is now closely working with private firms to further enhance the country’s supply chain management system, as this will accelerate the expansion of the vaccine program’s areas of coverage.
 
He said they have tapped the services of pharmaceutical firms Pharmaserve and Zuellig, which have cold storage facilities capable of handling the temperature requirements of donated and government-procured vaccines.
 
Galvez said Pharmaserv’s facilities will store the vaccine brands donated by foreign governments and those coming from the COVAX facility. Zuellig, on the other hand, will house all government-procured doses.
 
He said the warehouses of these companies will serve as the national storage hubs of the vaccines, where designated regional warehouses will source their supplies.
 
Local government units, in turn, will get the vaccines from these regional warehouses and bring them to their respective storage facilities prior to being administered at the vaccination sites.
 
“...may dalawa po tayo, mayroon po tayo 'yong Pharmaserv and also 'yong Zuellig and then bababa po 'yan sa regional warehouse and then sa LGU warehouse and then sa vaccination site,” Galvez said.
 
“…sinisimplify po namin [ang process] na from the Pharma puwede po kaagad na doon sa vaccination site kasi po nakita po natin na 'yong ibang mga vaccine ay napaka-critical po na magkaroon pa ng mga tinatawag nating double handling at pagka lumabas po 'yan sa warehouse, kailangan maiturok na po natin,” he explained.
 
Galvez said that the government has so far deployed 4,009,880 anti-COVID vaccine doses out of the 7,571,000 doses in its inventory through the 3,410 vaccination sites nationwide.
 
As of May 9, he said a total of 2,409,235 Filipinos have received the jab.

The seven-day moving average also almost doubled at average of roughly 66, 000.
 
“Sa ating mga healthcare workers, mayroon na po tayong nabakunahan na 1,181,834. Sa A2 rin po mayroon na po tayong 436,100 at sa A3 mayroon po tayong 331,150,” he said.

“At saka ‘yong mga [economic] frontliner po natin na nabigyan natin during May 1 na Labor Day, mayroon po tayong 8,881,” Galvez added.
 
Starting June, he said the government will start inoculating the A4 (government and economic frontliners) and A5 (indigent population) priority sectors.
 
Steady supply
 
Meanwhile, Galvez said the country expects to receive 7,308,400 anti-COVID vaccine doses by May. These include doses coming from Pfizer (1.1 million), Sinovac (500,000), and Sputnik (2 million).
 
Earlier this month, he said the country received 15,000 Sputnik V doses, 1.5 million Sinovac doses, and 2,030,400 AstraZeneca doses coming from the COVAX facility.

“Sa ngayon po sa ating inventory, mayroon po tayong more or less 5 million naka-stock nakita natin naka-dedicate 'yong 2 million for the second dose while we have still a stock of more or less 3 million,” he said.
 
“Meaning, iyon po puwede pong gamitin ng LGU at mapaspasan po ang ating pagva-vaccinate,” Galvez added.
 
By June, he said the government expects the arrival of 9,150,000 doses, which include 1,100,000 doses from Pfizer, 4,500,000 doses from Sinovac, 250,000 doses from Moderna (50,000 doses for the private sector), 1,300,000 doses from AstraZeneca (for the private sector), and 2 million doses from Gamaleya (Sputnik V).
 
He said this will bring to 20,514,000 the total number of vaccine doses the country has received since February.


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