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Carlito Gálvez Jr., Presidential Peace Advisor and Chief Response Executor for the National COVID-19 Task Force, FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The first COVID-19 vaccine the Philippines could get will likely come from China, the government’s chief of pandemic response implementation and vaccine czar Carlito Gálvez Jr. said Wednesday.
While he said that both Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute and China’s Sinovac Biotech may arrive as early as the first quarter of next year, Gálvez expressed “more confidence” in securing the latter.
“Yes,” Gálvez said in an interview on ABS-CBN Channel when asked if the first vaccine to be launched in the Philippines would come from China.
“Most likely, in the first trimester, two shots. Either Gamaleya or the Sinovac. We see the Sinovac, there [is] more confidence because Brazil and Indonesia had already obtained some of those, “he added.
(Most likely there will be two vaccines in the first trimester. Either Gamaleya or Sinovac. There is more confidence in Sinovac because Brazil and Indonesia had already received some of those).
Indonesia earlier this week received 1.2 million doses of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine, which the country has been testing since August.
Gálvez also allayed fears against vaccines from China, claiming they are safe.
“The panel of vaccine experts informed me and, therefore, with the DOST [Department of Science and Technology]. According to their evaluation, Sinovac and Chinese vaccines are very safe, ”he said.
When asked if he is willing to get vaccinated with a vaccine from China, Gálvez said: “I am more than willing. I heard that they used it for millions of people, the military and also their vanguards. “
The Philippines intends to vaccinate between 60 and 70 percent of its population to achieve herd immunity in which enough people in a specific area are protected against infectious diseases.
JPV
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