Roque says PHL to get a total of 25 million vaccine doses from Sinovac in 2021
(Eagle News) – Malacanang said that the first COVID-19 vaccine doses to arrive next month would be coming from Sinovac, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company that produces vaccines against infectious diseases.
In a media briefing, Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said that at least 65,000 doses of Sinovac’s vaccines will be arriving in the country by February, which means that 65,000 people will be given the vaccine.
This already includes the 15,000 doses for clinical trials approved to be conducted here,
By end of the year, Sinovac will have provided the country at least 25 million doses, he said.
He said that this was the good news coming from the Department of Health.
“Mayroon tayong magandang balita Sang-ayon po sa Department of Health ay magkakaroon na po tayo ng ating unang 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac, at darating na ang bakuna sa Pilipinas sa susunod na buwan,” he announced on Monday, Jan. 11.
“Well, huwag naman kayong masyadong mag-celebrate diyan dahil ang paunang darating po ay 50,000 doses lamang ng vaccine galing sa Sinovac, pero at least magsisimula na rin po tayo. Ito’y in addition doon sa 15,000 na clinical trial na gagawin dito sa Pilipinas. Ibig sabihin, by February, at least 65,000 na ang mabibigyan ng bakuna,” he said.
-Schedule of arrival of Sinovac vaccines in PHL-
Roque also broke down how the 25 million doses will arrive in the country, the initial 65,000 doses of which will be arriving by February.
In March, he said that 950,000 additional vaccine doses will be arriving by March, and by April another 1 million doses will arrive. By June, another two million vaccine doses will arrive. And by the end of this year, all 25 million doses will have arrived.
Other vaccine doses from other vaccine developers will be coming in by the middle of the year.
“Kasi pagdating po ng June, July, darating na rin po ang Pfizer, at ang July AstraZeneca,” he said.
-91.25 percent efficacy for Sinovac vaccine-
Roque said that that the Sinovac vaccine has more than 90 percent efficacy as attested by Turkey and Indonesia where the said vaccine had been administered for clinical trials.
“Ang sabi po ng Turkey, 91.25% efficacy rate. Okay? So ligtas at epektibo po ang Sinovac. Dagdag pa po ng Turkey’s researchers, wala silang nakitang kahit anong major side effect,” Roque said.
He said that Turkey had already ordered three million doses of Sinovac.
Thailand had also ordered two million doses of the Sinovac vaccine.
This month, Indonesia will also start administering the Sinovac vaccine.
He said that Indonesian President Joko Widodo will be the first to be vaccinated on Jan. 13.
Indonesia has already ordered 125.5 million vaccine doses from Sinovac.
Roque said that in the clinical trials in West Java on the Sinovac vaccine, there was a 91.25 percent efficacy rate.
(Eagle News Service)
