Over 9.4-M vaccine doses to arrive under WHO’s COVAX Facility by second quarter
(Eagle News) — Malacanang said that around 5.6 million vaccine doses from Pfizer and AstraZeneca would be arriving in the country this first quarter, with the first batches to arrive this February in preparation for the Philippines mass vaccination drive against COVID-19.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced this on Monday, Feb. 1, saying that this was the “very good news” he wanted to tell the nation amid the rising cases of COVID-19.
Roque said that for the first and second quarter of this year, the Philippines will get a total of 9.4 million vaccine doses from the two pharmaceutical firms, citing information from Aurélia Nguyen, the managing director of the World Health Organization-led COVAX Facility under which program the vaccine doses will be delivered to the country.
The Palace spokesperson said that 117,000 vaccine doses from Pfizer will be delivered to the Philippines by mid-February, and this would already cover its “first quarter supply commitment.”
“Sabi po ni Aurélia Nguyen, Managing Director ng World Health Organization-led COVAX Facility, makakatanggap ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas ng 9,407,400 doses mula sa dalawang pharmaceutical makers sa first quarter at second quarter ng 2021. Ang COVAX Facility ay isang global procurement mechanism na nag-invest in a broad portfolio of promising vaccine candidates to support the research, development and manufacturing,” Roque explained.
-More vaccine doses from AstraZeneca expected-
The country will also get more than 5.5 million to around 9.3 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca, with the first deliveries to happen from mid-Febuary to the end of the month.
“Makakatanggap din ng 5,500,800 hanggang 9,290,400 doses ng AstraZeneca; ang paunang deliver ay naka-schedule sa gitna hanggang katapusan ng Pebrero,” Roque announced.
He said that this was aside from the expected 50,000 vaccine doses from China’s Sinovac that would be coming in this month.
These would all be part of the targeted 148 million vaccine doses for some 70 million Filipinos this year, Malacanang said.
“Mga Pilipino ha, ito na po iyong inaantay natin. Sana po ay abutan natin, kinakailangan habang hindi pa natuturukan: MASK, HUGAS, IWAS!” Roque added.
(Eagle News Service)
