US also donating close to a million vaccine doses to the PHL set to arrive by July
(Eagle News) – The Philippines will be receiving at least 70 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the United States, including the 40 million Pfizer doses that were finalized through a bilateral deal, according to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez.
In an interview with the Eagle News Service program Balitalakayan on Wednesday, June 23, Romualdez explained how the United States government understood how the Philippines needed additional vaccine doses to fight COVID-19.
The ambassador said that the US government helped seal the deal with Pfizer for 40 million doses for the Philippines because it recognized how the vaccines would help the country which targets to achieve herd immunity by the end of the year.
“Naiintindihan rin ng United States yan, kaya ang US government na ang mismong tumutulong sa atin dito sa Washington at kinakausap nila mismo yung Pfizer, kaya nga nakakuha tayo ng 40 million via bilateral agreement,” he said.
“This is a totally separate one outside of the COVAX Facility where the United States is also a donor of about four million (doses),” Ambassador Romualdez said.
He said that the 40 million Pfizer doses will be delivered to the Philippines “within the next six months, up to the end of the year.”
“So we will have a total of at least 70 million coming from the United States alone,” he said.
Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., earlier said that the 40 million Pfizer doses will hopefully start to be delivered by August this year.
“Ito po ‘yong ano po natin, iyong nagkaroon po tayo ng signing ng 40 million. Napakalaki po ng impact po nito dahil kasi talagang, ito ‘yong biggest… And then tutulong po ang US na at least makapag-deliver po nang mas maaga, by August po makapag-deliver na po,” Galvez told President Duterte on Monday night, June 21, in reference to the recently secured 40 million Pfizer doses.
-1M US donated vaccines, a combination of Pfizer and AstraZeneca-
Ambassador Romualdez said that the US government is also donating close to a million doses of vaccines – a combination of Pfizer and AstraZeneca — to the Philippines which will arriving by early July.
“For the Philippines, we expect close to a million – maybe a combination of Moderna and AstraZeneca. We’re hoping that by early next month, mapapadala na yan sa atin,” he said.
This close to a million doses is part of the 80 million extra vaccine doses that the US donating to the world, since they are already close to vaccinating 70 percent of their population.
-20M vaccine doses from Moderna arriving this year-
Romualdez said that aside from this donation, there will also be 20 million doses from Moderna that have been secured and purchased by the Philippine government (13 million doses) and the private sector (seven million doses).
He said that the first delivery of the Moderna vaccine will be on June 27 at 11 p.m.
Galvez earlier said that this initial delivery of Moderna vaccines will be around 250,000 doses.
By July, Ambassador Romualdez said that close to a million Moderna doses will also be arriving in the country.
“And then the succeeding month, 3 to 4 million (doses). Tapos tuluy-tuloy na yang hanggang maubos ang 20 million (doses),” he explained during the Balitalakayan interview.
-Talks with J&J, Novavax for more vaccine deliveries-
Romualdez said that they are also talking to Johnson and Johnson, for the delivery of about 10 million vaccine doses.
The Philippines is also talking to Novavax, another US-based company, but the Philippine envoy admitted that the firm is facing some problems in its production, especially in India which is licensed to manufacture the vaccine.
-Booster shots from Moderna, Pfizer-
Ambassador Romualdez also assured that the Philippines is also talking to Moderna and Pfizer to secure the delivery of booster shots against COVID-19.
He said that Moderna and Pfizer both will be able to supply the country with a large amount of booster shots.
Romualdez said that by September or October, there could be an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Moderna booster shots,
He said that both Pfizer and Moderna are developing booster shots to better address emerging COVID-19 virus variants, which are more infectious than the original COVID-19 virus from Wuhan.
(Eagle News Service)
