Concepcion says they hope to get 2.6M additional doses or more of vaccine, translating to 5.2M total doses
(Eagle News) — The private business initiative to get more COVID-19 vaccines got a boost after the pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca agreed to give additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Philippines, aside from the earlier 2.6 million doses it had agreed to give.
Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said that AstraZeneca agreed to a “part 2” of the earlier 2.6 million doses which it had agreed to provide in a tripartite agreement with the Philippine governent and private businesses in the Philippines.
Concepcion said that hopefully AstraZeneca would give another 2.6 million doses, or even more in this “part 2” due largely to the insistence of private firms to get more COVID-19 vaccines from the UK-based pharmaceutical firm.
In an interview with Eagle News Service program Agila Balita, Concepcion said the additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca are under the program “Dose of Hope”.
“Marami pa kasing gustong kumuha ng vaccine from the private sector kaya nag-request kami sa AstraZeneca kung puede silang magpatuloy ng programa para matulungan ang Pilipinas,” he told Agila Balita anchor Angelo Palmones.
He said that AstraZeneca had told them that their request was approved.
“Sinabi ng AstraZeneca sa amin na ok na. Puede ang part 2. We hope to try to hit the same number of doses or more. Marami pa kasing iba na gustong sumali sa programang ito,” Concepcion said.
He noted that the private firms see this — vaccinating more people — as the solution to the problem in the economy brought about by the pandemic.
Under the tripartite agreement, all the donated vaccines from AstraZeneca bought thru the initiative of the Philippine private sector will be going to the government, but half of these will go to the employees of the private firms which donated to the pool.
The other half will be used for the public sector by the Philippine government.
In the first batch, at least 38 private firms were involved taking advantage of AstraZeneca’s offer for a $5 per dose of the vaccine in its initial offer.
In 2021, AstraZeneca is not getting any profits for their vaccine, Concepcion said. But in 2022, the price of the vaccine doses will likely rise.
-Private firms see vaccine as solution to economic woes-
If a substantial part of the population is vaccinated, this will create a high level of confidence in the country, which in turn is good for the economy.
Concepcion said that the tripartite agreement with AstraZeneca is a “win-win” solution for all.
While government aims to get more of the public sector, particularly the frontliners and the poor, to be vaccinated against the virus, the private firms will do their share in vaccinating all their employees, even the contractual ones.
“I think the solution kasi dito is to get rid of the infection, beat the virus, and the only way is through the vaccine. 2021 is the start. I think the team effort between the government and the private sector is going to be great. If we get more vaccines to come to the Philippines, and start vaccinating our people, over the year 2021, the goal is a substantial part of the population should be vaccinated,” he said,
“This is the goal of the government. This is also the goal of the private sector,” he added.
So far, he said, the MSMEs or the micro small and medium enterprises were the most affected by the pandemic.
(Eagle News Service)
