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‘A dose of hope:’ MSMEs may procure Novavax jabs for workers with 200 doses minimum order

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A minimum of 200 vaccine doses is required for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to place an order in the procurement being settled with American manufacturer Novavax.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey A. Concepcion on Tuesday said the government is trying to work out a purchase of vaccines from vaccine maker Novavax. If the deal is secured, this should allow MSMEs to get their share of doses to inoculate their workers against Covid-19, he said.

Concepcion said MSMEs can place their orders for vaccines in the Novavax agreement, as the procurement allows for reservations of as low as 200 shots.

About 800 companies have shown their support to the vaccination initiative as part of the national effort to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“The order here with Novavax, through the help of Unilab, has been brought down to 200 doses only [as minimum requirement]. For MSMEs, 200 vaccines may be too many because some of them are small in size,” Concepcion explained.

“As for those who need to buy below 200 doses, the government will assist them in placing their order,” he added.

The business leader and founder of Go Negosyo said it is important for MSMEs to vaccinate their workers to ensure their safety in the new normal. Likewise, he stated vaccination is the only way that the economy can reopen to its fullest of capacity.

“The only solution for our economy [to recover] is that we fight the pandemic. Health is causing the problem. If we solve this through the vaccine—good vaccines shipped in by the government and private sector—infection level will be reduced,” Concepcion said.

“And when that happens, it’s automatic for the economy to reopen. Tourism, which received the most severe of damages, can resume its operations,” he added.

Likewise, Concepcion called on employers to vaccinate their workers, as they may need a proof for it soon, especially those working in the tourism industry.

Concepcion said countries that have now began rolling out their vaccination programs may soon permit their citizens to leave the country, even for leisure activities. However, tourists may opt to go to destinations where all of the workers have been vaccinated as part of their precautions for traveling in the new normal.

“Here in the Philippines, in moving to different places, if you have been vaccinated and you have the vaccine passport, mobility will be back,” the business leader said.

Last week Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez announced the government has stopped collecting the vaccine orders of MSMEs on low quantity requirements. However, he vowed the state would be purchasing enough for the whole population that it can cover MSMEs and their workers.

Over 1,500 representatives of these local firms joined the briefing on Novavax vaccines.

Seeing the success of the record-breaking online event, Concepcion extended his gratitude to the business community’s constant support and willingness to help end the ensuing health crisis. 

“Thank you, everyone, for coming here, we have a record attendance. We have never hit this number of people ever since we’ve launched the ‘A Dose of Hope,’ so that shows that everybody here is eager to get out of this pandemic,” Concepcion said.

Following the procurement of 17 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through such initiative, the entrepreneurship czar continues to talk with various vaccine manufacturers.

One successful outcomes of which is his discussion with Faberco Life Sciences, Inc., which has committed to handle the local government unit and national government orders of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax. 

This company, according to him, has assigned the management of the private sector orders of Covovax to Unilab that has set the minimum order at 200 doses with an option for smaller companies to consolidate among themselves which makes it more accessible especially for MSMEs in the country.

“Now, our role here is to support Unilab in its efforts to get orders. We will endorse all orders to Unilab, our staff will take down the orders and help follow through on any issues with them,” Concepcion pointed out.

The collaboration is aimed at helping the workforce—the most valuable asset of companies—and to find solutions to protect them against Covid-19.

Faberco Founder Kishore Hemlani noted that safeguarding the health of the workforce through inoculation is highly encouraged.

“Together with Unilab, your trusted quality health-care partner, we will bring Covovax to the private sector to help our economy get back up,” he said.

Unilab, for its part, has taken the initiative to take care of the private sector to have access to this vaccine, mainly due to the spirit of “bayanihan” which, per Unilab Senior Vice President for Social Partnerships Atty. Jose Maria Ochave, “has always been a cornerstone” of their company’s policies.

During the briefing, Unilab Medical Director Dr. Nancy Bernal presented the Covovax efficacy set at 89.3 percent with no severe adverse effect, while Unilab Vice President Manolet  Montinola delved on the particulars of the partnership—including its objectives, dosage and administration, age indication, supply chain management with focus on transport and storage, the projected date of supply which is on the third quarter of 2021, and the partnership terms with private sectors that will procure through Unilab.

The indicative cost for the vaccine is currently set at P1,000 per dose, exclusive of VAT, inclusive of logistics and delivery nationwide to Department of Health (DOH)-approved vaccination hospital/site. 

This excludes the cost of administering the vaccine which depends on the hospital or site where the vaccination will be administered—a hospital or site of choice of the private company that procured the vaccine, as long as the hospital or site is DOH-accredited. 

Orders to Unilab also extend to family members of each employee given that the administration still follows the government’s prioritization.

Read full article on BusinessMirror

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