No favoritism in Covid-19 vax distribution: Palace

MANILA – Malacañang on Friday denied accusations that the government is giving preferential treatment in the distribution of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines.

This, after President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown, Davao City, has been picked as one of the first recipients of the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines developed by the United States’ Pfizer BioNTech.

Apart from Davao City, Metro Manila and Metro Cebu will receive the first Pfizer vaccine doses.

During a Laging Handa press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque explained that Pfizer vaccines would be delivered to Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao because they have ultra-cold storage facilities which can store the vaccine jabs.

“So, wala pong preferential treatment iyan. Realidad lang po ‘no na talagang Pfizer was made for first world conditions (There is no preferential treatment there. It’s a reality that Pfizer was really made for first world conditions),” Roque said.

The Philippines has received some 193,000 doses of the American-made jabs.
The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said around 69 percent of the 193,000 Pfizer vaccine shots have been allocated in Metro Manila.

The capacity to store vaccines in ultra-low storage freezers is one of the critical factors the national government considers in the allocation of Pfizer vaccine doses, the DOH said.

New Covid variants ‘alarming’

Meantime, Roque renewed its appeal to the public to get vaccinated against the Covid-19 amid the “alarming” presence of new coronavirus variants in the country.

Roque issued the statement, after Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the Philippines, said there is now a community transmission of the United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa’s Covid-19 variants in the National Region Capital (NCR) Plus.

NCR Plus is composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

“Uulitin ko po, talaga pong nakakabahala itong mga bagong variants (I repeat, these new variants are really alarming),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said during the Laging Handa press briefing. “Ito po ay isang dahilan kung bakit kinakailangan iyong mga pupuwede na ay magpabakuna na po (This is the reason why those who can be vaccinated now should receive the Covid-19 shots).”

In an interview with GMA News, Abeyasinghe said WHO noticed “multiple” cases of UK and South African coronavirus variants in NCR Plus.

Roque said the government is exhausting all efforts to stop the further transmission of the new Covid-19 variants in the country.

He also reiterated his call on the public to continue following minimum public health standards to ensure the country’s successful fight against the new coronavirus variants.

“We are racing against the new variants. At ito po ay dapat maging dahilan kung bakit dapat paigtingin pa natin ‘yung mask, hugas, iwas (This should be the reason why we need to wear mask, wash hands, and prevent the spread of the disease),” Roque said.