
(Eagle News) – The Philippines will get more than the 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines needed for the mass vaccination next year in the country, and sees the first roll-out of vaccines by March.
This was according to vaccine czar and the chief implementer of the National Action Plan against COVID-19 Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.
In his report to President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday night, Dec. 16, Galvez said that once the contracts with the major vaccine producers are completed, the country will have more than 60 million doses of the life-saving vaccines, the bulk of which would come in by May to July.
The vaccines will be delivered to the country in tranches, he said. Manufacturing of the vaccines will happen within three to six months after the finalization of the contract.
“Nakikita natin po pagka nakuha po natin ‘yung kontrata ng AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Sinovac, mayroon na po tayong mahigit na 60 million doses po, sir, niyan. Available po ‘yan 2021 kasi ang mangyayari po in tranches kasi po ang pagka po nagkaroon tayo ng kontrata, they will prepare ‘yung manufacturing. It will take three to six months po ang manufacturing po,” he said.
Galvez said that the main bulk will be delivered by May, June and July. But there could already be vaccinations as early as March 2021.
He calls this the mini-roll-out of the vaccines for the country while they also monitor the performance in mass vaccinations in other countries of the more sensitive vaccines like Pfizer which need to be stored at temperatures of negative 70 degrees Celsius.
The Philippines has earlier said it might have difficulties getting storage facilities that would maintain such extreme cold temperatures.
-SInovac and Gamaleya vaccines seen to arrive by first quarter of 2021-
For the first roll-out of the vaccines, Galvez sees the Chinese-made vaccines from Sinovac, and the Russian vaccine Sputnik V produced by Gamaleya as those which can deliver by March 2021.
“Sir, kung titingnan po natin ito po ang magiging projection po natin sa potential rollout. Kung magiging successful tayo po sa Sinovac at saka Gamaleya kasi initial ano po nila puwede sila sa first quarter,” Galvez told President Duterte.
He said that Gamaleya’s experience in producing vaccines against Ebola is an advantage.
Both Gamaleya’s Sputnik V and Sinovac’s CoronaVax vaccines had also received early approval in their respective countries. China has also issued a limited use authority for Sinovac last July, Galvez said.
What is needed now is for the Philippines, including its scientists and vaccine experts under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of Health (DOH) to study further the possible adverse effects of these vaccines in clinical trials done in other countries.
“And then kaya po ang ginagawa po namin pinapa-analyze po naming mabuti sa ating vaccine expert ‘yung performance po ng Sinovac at saka ‘yung Gamaleya, ‘yung kanilang history at saka ‘yung potential adverse event at saka ‘yung mga record ng mga kanilang clinical trial,” Galvez said.
The vaccine czar also said that the bulk of the other COVID-19 vaccines might come by the second or third quarter of 2021. These would include the vaccines from Pfizer that needs very cold storage.
“So kung makikita po natin talaga doon po tayo sa end of second quarter at saka beginning of third quarter doon po tayo magkakaroon ng mga more or less mga siguro magkakaroon tayo ng mga 10 to 15 million na bulto po,” he said.
-More vaccines from other pharma firms to come in-
These would also include vaccines from the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility, which aims to ensure that developing and poor countries can get access to the vaccines.
“So iyon po ang ano po natin. Nakikita po natin main bulk po natin ito darating ng May, June, July kasama na po ‘yung COVAX facility po natin,” Galvez said.
The Philippines also plans to get vaccines from Moderna, a US-based pharmaceutical firm, and Sinopharm from China.
The Philippine government already had talks to acquire vaccines from the UK pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, the US-based Pfizer with the German partner BioNTech, Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen pharmaceuticals, the China-based Sinovac, Russia’s Gamaleya.
It is also considering getting COVID vaccines from Novavax, another US vaccine development company.
Over 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be given to the public through the government for free to frontliners and the country’s poor next year. Private firms and individuals who can pay, however, can buy vaccines for their use.
(Eagle News Service)