PNP ready to transport COVID-19 vaccines upon arrival

 

(Eagle News) –Philippine National Police Chief Debold Sinas said the PNP is ready to transport the COVID-19 vaccines upon arrival in the Philippines.

“All systems are in place to ensure the unhampered transport of the first shipment of COVD 19 vaccines that will arrive in the country,” he said.

He noted the PNP Vaccination Plan Caduceus, in particular, which he said “will operationalize all security and public safety operations for the vaccine roll-out in the coming weeks and months, following the arrival of the vaccine shipments from abroad.”

He said the police “have gone through a series of planning workshops and simulation exercises to ensure organized and orderly transport of the vaccine shipment to the storage facilities and distribution hubs on D-day when the vaccine roll-out shall commence.”

He added on a “need basis,” “we will be guided by the instructions of national health authorities to administer the vaccine to PNP personnel whom we have identified among the priority recipients such as those assigned to frontline medical and health care duties, as well as those who will be fielded to assist DOH personnel in administering the vaccine and other police frontliners.”

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said  526,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses are expected to arrive on Monday.

He said they were part of the first round of vaccine doses provided to the Philippines under the COVAX facility.

“This forms part of the 44 million doses of COVAX to inoculate 20% of our population,” Roque said.

“We thank the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) towards this end,” he added.

Sinovac vaccines donated by China are expected to arrive today.

Earlier, the Department of the Interior and Local Government directed the PNP to escort the vaccines and those who will administer the same especially in remote areas.