Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Monday said the national government should start reviewing the policy on Covid-19 vaccine procurement to allow the private sector to purchase directly from manufacturers.

Velasco said giving the private sector a much wider role in the inoculation drive would sustain the momentum of the government’s Covid-19 vaccination program in the country and enhance efforts to ensure the rapid and efficient rollout of available vaccines.

“Since there is now ample supply of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines globally, it is time that the national government considers allowing the private sector to deal directly with manufacturers to ensure a more sustainable and dependable supply of life-saving vaccines for Filipinos,” Velasco said.

Pursuant to Republic Act 11525 or the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, private companies and local government units (LGUs) are authorized to procure vaccines that have been given emergency use authorization through a tripartite agreement with manufacturers and the national government, represented by the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF).

Velasco said he is open to amending the law to allow private companies to directly purchase vaccines for their workers and their dependents.

He is also amenable to devolving some responsibilities and functions in the Covid-19 vaccination program from the national government to LGUs.

He argued that granting the private sector the authority to directly purchase Covid-19 shots will “relieve pressure” on government resources considering that vaccine procurement and administration entails a lot of logistical challenges.

“By granting the private sector greater participation in the vaccination campaign, the government can focus its resources on the inoculation of front-liners, uniformed personnel, and vulnerable sectors,” Velasco said. “The amount the government will save can be channeled to efforts to help economic recovery post-pandemic.”

He lauded the Duterte administration on the successful holding of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Days, where an additional 9.9 million Filipinos were vaccinated from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.

The vaccination drive will have a second run from Dec. 15 to 17. (PNA)