City’s Covid vaccine supply up to over 90,000 doses

The Summer Capital’s total supply of Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines ballooned to 90,735 doses as of August 8 as compared to 78,736 on July 26 according to City Health Services Office (CHSO) head Dr. Rowena Galpo.

During the regular management committee meeting of local officials led by city administrator Bonifacio Dela Pena at City Hall, August 9, she said that of the total, the city has 33,072 doses of Pfizer for 12 years old and above and 27,970 of Astra Zeneca vaccines.

The city government still has 18,990 doses of Pfizer for 5-11 years old and 3,250 doses of Sinovac, Galpo disclosed.

She said the total supply includes the 11,418 vaccines the city government received on August 8 that includes 7,468 doses of Sinovac; 1,050 of Pfizer for 5-11 years old; and 2,900 doses of Astra Zeneca.

As to the distribution of the city’s Covid-19 variants of concern, by type, as of Aug. 3, Galpo revealed that most cases (52 percent) are infected with Omicron; Delta, 27 percent; Alpha, 14 percent; and the Beta variant with seven percent of the total infections.

She also revealed that the World Health Organization (WHO), July 22, reported another emerging subvariant of Omicron, BA 2.75, and is now considered under monitoring. This was first detected in India in May this year and is now found in 15 countries.

WHO said it has nine additional mutations compared to BA 2, which has growth advantage over BA 1 and lower neutralizing antibodies. However, there is no evidence that it makes Covid worse compared to BA 4 and BA 5, Galpo said.

The Mayor has earlier echoed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s call for the public to have their booster shots as an added layer of protection against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. – Gaby B. Keith