Vaccine Deployment: Turtle’s Paced Race

Coronavirus has been plaguing the Philippines for over a year, in which until today we suffer the
consequences of a slow response towards the virus. Even with this knowledge, the government’s rollout
of our vaccines is slower than what is expected in a race where people’s lives are on the line.

Since March 2021, the first batches of our vaccines arrived and were distributed, and in order to
be fully vaccinated we need two doses. Based on Department of Health (DOH) data, 2,539,693 Filipinos
have received at least one dose as of May 11. Although, compared to the 1,131,467 cases of COVID-19
as of May 14 and the growing population of 110.59 million, this is barely enough to protect the whole
country.

“The vaccine deployment is deployed because they are still processing the certificate of analysis,
which checks if the doses are of the same quality,” said Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque mostly in
Filipino. Claiming that quality control is the main reason for delayed distribution.

However, the one who sparked this reaction, Manila’s Mayor Isko Moreno, in contrast claims
“the deployment is not slow, it’s super slow.” The metropolis, being the densest, has only received 8,400
of CoronaVac vials wherein half is planned for 2nd dosage along with 1,170 vials of Pfizer which is
merely what is needed.

The Philippines has vaccinated over 2 million Filipinos as of late, but it is still far from the year’s
goal of 50 to 70 million.

All in all, the rate of new cases to vaccinated people is still far from flattening the curve. We need
our deployment to adapt to the race where in it can catch up with the virus. This is a race where people
are dying every moment due to a grim reaper that can’t be seen. Now is not the time to be competent and
have a turtle’s pace.