Metro Manila mayors to meet on vaccine slot sale

Vaccines sold for P10,000 to P15,000

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila mayors will meet this week to discuss the reported sale of vaccines or offering of slots in the government’s vaccination program.

Metro Manila Council (MMC) chairman and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez yesterday said the selling of COVID-19 vaccines is illegal as these were procured by the government and are given free to all qualified citizens.

Olivarez stressed that the Food and Drug Administration has also not approved the marketing or sale of vaccine doses.

“We have received reports about some unscrupulous individuals offering COVID-19 vaccines for sale or assuring slots in the vaccination program of cities in Metro Manila,” he said.

The vaccines are reportedly being sold from P10,000 to P15,000, depending on the brand, he said.

Olivarez warned that those caught selling COVID vaccines would face the full force of the law.

Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos last week asked the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the reported sale of vaccines.

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora also criticized the illicit selling of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and called it a “scam.” He urged his constituents to report any sale of vaccines to his office.

Some of the vaccines that arrived in the country were from the COVAX Facility, which gives developing countries access to vaccines in the fight against COVID-19.

Under the rules provided by COVAX, vaccines should first be given to members of the vulnerable sector such as healthcare workers, senior citizens, persons with comorbidities and some government workers.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government had asked the Philippine National Police to investigate the alleged selling of government-procured COVID-19 vaccines.

Social media went abuzz after some netizens said they were offered vaccine slots for a price by some people claiming to have connections with local government units.

Red Cross exceeds 3 M swab, saliva tests

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has conducted over three million swab and saliva tests nationwide, thus preventing 250,000 COVID positive patients from spreading infection.

“We at the Red Cross continue to remain diligent against this invisible enemy, by testing 24 percent of the country’s nationwide output and even accounting for 40 percent of total tests conducted during the recent surge,” PRC chair Sen. Richard Gordon said yesterday.

“If we did not go into testing, 250,000 COVID-19 positive cases would have gone undetected and unknowingly spread the virus,” he added.

As of Sunday morning, Gordon said the PRC had recorded 3,010,432 RT-PCR and saliva tests or just three months after hitting the two million milestone in February.

PRC constructed its first molecular laboratory for COVID-19 RT-PCR testing in its national headquarters in just 14 days and was accredited by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine on April 14, 2020.

Laboratories in the PRC Logistics and Multipurpose Center and the PRC Port Area were then established. To date, the Red Cross runs 13 molecular laboratories nationwide, processing one out of four Filipinos tested.

Gordon said the PRC will continue to improve and innovate to reinforce the country’s defense against COVID.

PRC is also looking to administer COVID vaccines to the public and is already seeking accreditation for its Bakuna Centers from the Department of Health.

ECC compensation ready

Workers who may suffer adverse events of COVID-19 vaccination are getting financial assistance from the Employees’ Compensation Commission.

ECC executive director Stella Banawis reported that the commission has already approved a board resolution granting compensation to those who may suffer injury, disability, hospital confinement or any other serious adverse events from COVID vaccination.

“Although the vaccination program is outside the regular duties of the employees, the ECC recognizes that it is within the course of employment as it will bring mutual benefits between employers and employees through the prevention of infection among workers,” Banawis explained.

The vaccination, she added, will also protect employers against consequences due to downtime loss because of absences due to infection of employees.

According to Banawis, the EC compensation is in the form of loss of income benefits, medical benefits, death and funeral benefits, and rehabilitation services.

She said the ECC shall grant EC benefits upon confirmation of the SSS and GSIS of the “causal connection” between the vaccination and its medical consequences as supported by relevant medical records and/or findings.

Banawis said the EC benefits will be in addition to the benefits granted by other government agencies as provided for in other laws.

Although vaccination is not mandatory, the government is urging employees to get inoculated as a protection against the virus.

Those who have been vaccinated are still advised to continue observing safety and health protocols.

COVID deaths near 20,000

Deaths related to COVID-19 are nearing 20,000 while infections nationwide have reached almost 1.2 million.

Confirmed coronavirus cases nationwide reached 1,179,812 as the Department of Health (DOH) logged additional 3,083 cases yesterday.

Of the total, 94 percent or 1,109,226 have recuperated, including 6,756 new recoveries.

Active cases stand at 4.3 percent or 50,635 of total cases. With 38 additional deaths, COVID-related fatalities account for 1.69 percent or 19,951 of the cases.

National Capital Region topped the regions with high active and new cases followed by Calabarzon, Central Luzon and Western Visayas.

As of May 21, over 12.1 million individuals have been tested with 10.34 percent positivity rate.

Among those who tested positive were 18,518 healthcare workers and 17,537 returning overseas Filipinos.

With the surge in cases outside the NCR Plus, the DOH is considering deploying more anti-COVID vaccines to other provinces.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH may adopt the framework of providing more vaccines to areas with high number of cases.

“Now that we are seeing cases in other areas, we will use the same framework to give them an additional supply of COVID-19 vaccines. This is so that they can also have that kind of focus or prioritization like the NCR Plus 8,” Vergeire said during the Laging Handa public briefing Saturday.

Vergeire noted that Metro Manila was prioritized in the distribution of vaccines due to the surge of COVID cases.

“If we look at the data, we can really see that the NCR Plus 8 area was given that focus or prioritization because of that burden of the COVID-19 cases here,” she noted.

But Vergeire ruled out the proposed 24/7 COVID-19 immunization.

“It is not part of the priority strategies,” the health official said, adding the the government is focused on ensuring the success of the mega vaccination sites initiative. – Mayen Jaymalin