By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center deputy for medical, Dr. Chris Sorongon, said the city is capable of handling the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Russian biotech company, Gamaleya Institute.
The Department of Health (DOH) had earlier stated that they will only send Sputnik V vaccines to local government units (LGUs) that have met the minimum storage requirements for the vaccine.
Among the requirements stated by DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergerie for the Sputnik V vaccines are that the storage should be a dark place and in temperatures not over -18 degrees Celsius.
Sorongon said their storage facility in Bacolod City meets the DOH’s requirements as Sputnik V can be stored at two to eight degrees Celsius, which is the same temperature requirement for UK-made AstraZeneca and Chinese-made CoronaVac vaccines by Sinovac.
When asked if the city will also tap the national government for an allocation of Sputnik V vaccines, Sorongon said they will await the decision from the national government.
National Inter-Agency Task Force chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. announced the arrival of 15,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines on Wednesday, April 28.
The Gamaleya Institute is also due to send 480,000 more doses the next day, April 29.
Sputnik V vaccines showed an efficacy rate of 91 to 97 percent. The vaccine uses a weakened virus to deliver small parts of a pathogen and stimulate response.
The inoculation of the Russian-made vaccine is two doses with a gap of 21 days./DGB, WDJ