Over 201M Covid-19 vax doses released: BOC

MANILA – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has so far released over 201 million doses of vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Citing the latest data as of Friday, the BOC said it has facilitated the release of 201,121,670 doses of different brands of vaccines.

Of the number, 196,190,120 were released from Port of NAIA, 3,410,550 from Port of Cebu-Mactan International Airport, and 1,521,000 from Port of Davao-Davao International Airport.

It added that Davao port has expedited the release of 526,500 doses of Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccines which arrived at Davao International Airport via TRI-MG Airlines last Dec. 26, 2021.

Port of Davao District Collector Erastus Sandino Austria said the shipments were pre-cleared last December 24 via the port’s Customer Care Center and One-Stop-Shop.

Upon arrival, the vaccines were immediately transported to the DOH Cold Storage Room located at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

Meanwhile, the government’s cold-chain and logistics partner, PharmaServ Express, has effectively delivered the needed vaccines to various local government units (LGUs) in the country since the start of the vaccination program early this year.

“This is mainly due to the company’s competence and expertise in handling these life-saving vaccines,” said Andrian Perez, president of PharmaServ Express Inc.

“Providing logistics is one thing but delivering world-class service to our fellowmen is another thing. Our company takes pride in living up to its commitment to excellent service,” he added.

The cold-chain company official reported that they recorded no wastage, since the start of the vaccination rollout, attributing it to their meticulous and safe handling of vaccines, from storage, packing, and distribution to LGUs.

PharmaServ Express uses a biothermal case system that maintains the required temperature of the vaccines while being transported to various areas of the country.

With the government planning to increase its Covid-19 immunity vaccination target from 70 percent to 100 percent due to emerging variants, PharmaServ Express is more than ready for the challenge.

“We still have a long way to go, but PharmaServ Express is more than ready to face this challenge. We are fully equipped and fully capable,” Perez said.

The vaccination program of the government started in March, following the arrival of the first batch of Sinovac vaccines to the country on February 28.

The country is importing vaccines from the US, China, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates.