Baguio City enters into vaccine deal with AstraZeneca

BAGUIO CITY  – Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced Jan. 11 that the city government has entered into a deal with British-Swedish parmaceutical company AstraZeneca  for the procurement of vaccines that will benefit a total of 190,000 individuals.

The number of beneficiaries represents 70 percent of the city’s target population for inoculation which does not include those aged 17 years old and below.

The multipartite agreement was signed last Jan. 10, 2021 by the mayor and representatives of AstraZeneca, the Dept. of Health and the National Task Force on Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases. 

The mayor said that AstraZeneca initially planned to supply doses good for only 50,000 persons but the company subsequently approved the mayor’s request to increase the allocation to cover 70 percent of the target population and enable the city to establish herd immunity against the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Magalong said the city is also currently in talks with other international pharmaceutical companies for more vaccine provisions for the city’s contingency reserve.

At the same time, engagements with global and local private companies and even civic-minded families and individuals in the city are moving for the acquisition of more vaccines free of charge.

The mayor said the city had received commitments for a total of 33,000 doses from the private companies which include the local chapter of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and locators in the Philippine Economic Zone Authority in the city.

The mayor and the city council will work out the allocation funds and the plan for the assignment and deployment of vaccinators to implement the inoculation program. – Aileen P. Refuerzo/PIO Baguio