Vaccine hoarding hurting everyone, warns Galvez

VACCINE czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Saturday said vaccine hoarding was hurting everyone, including the world’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We join the UN SecretaryGeneral in lamenting the unfortunate state of global Covid-19 vaccination, and fully align with the course of action of the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the Non Aligned Movement, the G77 and other likeminded member states,” Galvez said in his speech during the special ministerial meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council themed “A Vaccine for All.”

The Philippines, reeling from the recent virus spike, is pushing for the fair and timely access to Covid-19 vaccines.

“Hoarding the limited vaccines

does not serve anyone’s interests and only hurts everyone and the global response. Similar transgressions run contrary to solidarities reached multilaterally that emphasized the importance of collective action,” Galvez added.

Galvez, chief implementer of the Philippine government’s pandemic response, called for closer international cooperation that will ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines.

“The Philippines remains resolute in championing a policy of ensuring universal, fair, equitable and timely access to Covid-19 vaccines as long-term solutions to building back better amid the emergence of new variants and the global scarcity that has been challenging vaccine rollouts in some countries,” Galvez said.

Despite the Philippines’ struggles, Galvez noted that the country has already pledged $100,000 each to the World Health Organization’s Covax facility and the Asean Covid-19 Response.

VCO distribution a ‘personal initiative’

Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles has clarified on Saturday that the distribution of virgin coconut oil (VCO) in three hospitals for use on Covid-19 patients was a “personal initiative” and that no government funds were used in the project.

“The distribution of VCO was a personal initiative, not an official IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) undertaking, and that no private funds were used to purchase VCO supplies on top of VCO that had been donated by concerned parties,” Nograles said in a statement.

Nograles, co-chairman of the IATF, recently handed free bottles of VCO to the Caloocan City Medical Center, San Lorenzo Ruiz Women’s Hospital, and Ospital ng Malabon. At least 61 hospital patients have reportedly agreed to take VCO as a supplement to standard Covid-19 treatments.

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST), after conducting initial clinical trials, has concluded that VCO can be “an adjunct supplement to probable and suspect Covid-19 cases to help prevent symptoms from becoming severe.”

The DoST, however, said more studies were required to determine the effectiveness of VCO on Covid-19 patients with comorbidities.