THERE is chaos in the way the government, the private sector, the local officials and the public handle this most important matter called Bakuna (vaccine).
Netizens had been actively pointing out that the government is remiss in its vaccine program -- from the timely allocation of funds to be used for the purchase of these vaccines, to charges of high officials having pecuniary interest in the purchase of vaccines, to jumping in the queue of the vaccination line to be ahead of others on the priority list.
The Philippines' need for the COVID-19 vaccine, whether made in Europe, China, the United States or India, is most pronounced because of the surging cases of coronavirus 2019 infections, mostly in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
The situation prodded President Rodrigo Roa Duterte through his IATF to declare a "bubble area" under a restrictive version of General Community Quarantine (GCQ). The area includes Metro Manila and the adjacent provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan; you can travel well within the bubble, and those outside the bubble can enjoy the beaches in their own areas. Just our luck that this bubble policy occurred during the Holy Week, that time of year devoted to faith and frolic.
The devastation on the economy and the population caused by the coronavirus 2019 continues to be severe, with the count breaching 9K -- 9,838 to be exact. OCTA Research again gains some measure of credibility when it said total daily infections in the country could reach 10,000 by the end of March.
The virus has infected 700,000 as of the last count. Meanwhile, our officials are still stumbling among themselves in handling the very item that could stem the tide of COVID-19 -- the vaccine.
This late in the day, the nation was only able to secure more than 1 million doses of Sinovac donated by China, aside from several thousand doses of AstraZenica vaccine donated by the World Health Organization's COVAX Facility. To be fair, there are reports of Gamaleya's Sputnik 5 already coming in, but its use in the government's mass vaccination program is still nil. Despite the millions of pesos allocated for the purchase, the public and the senators are asking where is the vaccine.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said: "Bakit parang missing-in-action 'yung P570 billion? Saan pumunta ang bilyon-bilyon? Are the funds parked? If they've been exhausted already, bakit parang hindi naman nararamdaman?"
Senator Panfilo Lacson affirmed: "Let me say again that I never asked where the money went. What I asked and will continue to ask until we get accurate answer is, since the money has been available through loans for quite sometime and I thank the DOF for its foresight, is -- Where are the vaccines?"
Authorities are trying hard to observe compliance to their own list of priority recipients of the vaccine, the health care workers who are most in risk of contracting the virus. They are doing 12,000 to 15,000 inoculations a day, and it is clearly isn't enough. Waiting for their turn are the senior citizens and those with comorbidities, while Filipinos who think they are VIPs like mayors and celebrities kuno
are jumping the line to be ahead of the others, with the lame excuse that they are trying to convince the public that taking the jab is OK, even preferable.
The vaccine situation is so chaotic that the private business sector has come in, trying to put order by volunteering to purchase their own stock. This was initially opposed by the government, citing indemnity issues and concerns on who will pay or assume liability if people suffer adverse effects from these vaccines. This led the public to suspect that some people in high places in government are out to make money from the purchase of vaccines.
While vaccines are for prevention, hospitals and medicines are for treatment, and in this area more problems are to be hurdled if our failing fight against the pandemic is to succeed. (With a report by D. S. Cagahastian)