DOH plans cold storage hubs per region, province

The Department of Health (DOH) is planning to establish additional cold storage facilities across regions and possibly provinces to ensure effective storage of potential COVID-19 vaccines.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stated during a Laging Handa briefing that the goal is for each region or province to have its own hub, ensuring vaccine efficacy upon rollout.

Currently, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) serves as the national vaccine storage facility based on Department Order No. 2019-0174.

Vergeire also mentioned that discussions are underway with various groups to expand storage facilities and prepare for the proper preservation of any available COVID-19 vaccines.