Lapu will no longer purchase Pfizer vaccine due to storage issues

Lapu-Lapu City Health Department head Dr. Agnes Realiza. CDN Digital photo | Futch Anthony Inso

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines – The Lapu-Lapu City Health Department (LCHD) will no longer purchase the Pfizer brand of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine.

This is because the LCHD cannot store the vaccine, which requires a storage temperature of -70 degrees Celcius.

According to Mae Cheryll Tepait, National Immunization Program nurse coordinator of LCHD, that currently, their office can only store vaccines having a temperature requirement of +2 to +8 degrees Celcius with their six units of ice-lined refrigerators.

She added that they also have one unit of a freezer which can store vaccines having temperature requirements of -15 to -25 degrees Celcius, which suites for COVID-19 vaccines such as Moderna.

“Ang city is pwede rata mo-purchase sa freezer, kung given a chance for Moderna vaccine, which requires -20 degree Celcius,” Tepait said.

Tepait, however, clarified that the refrigerators and freezer do not include yet those that are in the Barangay Health Center.

Yesterday, January 28, 2021, some personnel of the LCHD undergo training on the COVID-19 Immunization Program.

Dr. Agnes Realiza, head of the LCHD, said that this is to prepare for the immunization program if ever the vaccine against COVID-19 is already made available in the country.

“Nagsige pami ug traning, kay mag-training man gyud for this new vaccine kay bag-o man gud siya,” Realiza said.

The training also includes discussions on the city’s plan for the actual conduct of vaccination and deployment of personnel.

Realiza also revealed that as of the moment, the city has not decided yet what brand of the vaccine they will procure and that the city will still have to wait for the consensus of the COVID-19 Vaccination Advisory Council.

Earlier, Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan announced that the city will allocate P100 million for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. /rcg