Tawi-Tawi, the country’s southernmost province, received its first batch of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, officials said Friday.

The vaccines, consisting of 101 doses of Astrazeneca and 1,212 Sincovac, were airlifted Thursday by a Fokker plane of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) from this city to Bongao, the island-province’s capital.

Provincial Administrator Mobin Gampal, head of the Tawi-Tawi Inter-Agency Task Force, and Dr. Sangkula Laja, Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) chief, received the vaccines at the Sanga-Sanga Airport in Bongao from Col. Dennis Estrella, Tactical Operations Wing-Western Mindanao, wing commander.

The vaccines are intended for the medical front-liners of the province.

“The vaccines are delicate and should be administered within five days to achieve optimum potency, so we must ensure on-time and safe transport,” Brig. Gen. Arturo Rojas, Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi commander, said.

Before heading to Tawi-Tawi, the PAF aircraft also transported 208 doses of Astrazeneca and 2,360 of Sinovac vaccines to Sulu earlier on the same day.

“As a member of the IATF for Covid-19, the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) and all of its Joint Task Forces are always ready to assist and provide support to ensure the successful execution of the immunization campaign in our area of operation,” said Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of Westmincom. (PNA)