Philippines to Store Coronavirus Vaccines in Military Camps

(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines will store coronavirus vaccines in military camps once they are available, as President Rodrigo Duterte chose a retired general to lead efforts to secure and distribute vaccines.

The Southeast Asian nation targets to procure shots in the first quarter of 2021, said Carlito Galvez, vaccine czar and chief implementer of policies to stem the outbreak. The vaccines -- which he described as “the road to full economic recovery” -- will be chosen based on safety, cost and the number of shots required to be effective, he added.

Philippines Risks Losing in Vaccine Race

The government is also in talks with private companies like Zuellig Pharma Ltd. and Unilab Inc. for use of their cold storage facilities, Galvez said. Duterte earlier said that he will prioritize coronavirus vaccines from China and Russia, and wants soldiers to take the first shots.

New recorded Covid-19 cases in the Philippines declined for the second straight month in October. The country, however, still has the region’s second-worst outbreak, with more than 385,000 infections as of Sunday.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.