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The Philippine government will sign an agreement on Friday with the private sector and British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for the purchase of 2 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine.
The head of the National Task Force against COVID-19, Carlito Gálvez Jr., announced the agreement on Thursday, saying that the private sector will bear the cost of the vaccines.
“Next Friday we will sign the tripartite agreement where we will buy 2 million doses of the vaccine from the British AstraZeneca. The private sector that donated them will join us, ”said Gálvez at a press conference.
UK non-profit
Galvez said the UK and AstraZeneca wanted the vaccine to be accessible to all and were not looking to profit from it.
The Philippines aims to vaccinate up to 75 percent of the population against COVID-19, but this will not be completed in a year, Gálvez said.
The government, he said, could only vaccinate 25 to 30 million people a year.
One of the reasons for the slowness was the supply and demand of vaccines in the world market, he said.
The vaccine is expected to be available in May, June or July of next year, so the immunization campaign is likely to begin late in the second quarter of 2021, he said.
He also cited the logistics involved in the effort.
Previous immunization drives in the country targeted only about 5 million people a year, he noted.
The government should take into account cold chain storage and vaccine management, he said.
If you are using a vaccine that needs cold chain storage, there are limitations to this, he added.
He also said officials were evaluating and inventorying Department of Health (DOH) and private sector supply chain facilities for vaccines.
He said that once the vaccine contract is signed, the government would plan the delivery, storage and distribution schedule with the vaccine manufacturer.
The government will also call on the services of the private sector to help it develop a systematic plan that uses information technology and GPS technology, he said.
Gálvez also assured the public that the COVID-19 immunization campaign would be free from political overtones, even if it would take place in the run-up to the 2022 elections.
The president’s goal is to contain the virus and end the outbreak in the country, as he has seen the suffering of the Filipino people, Gálvez said.
He said the president wanted to ensure this by appointing him to the task of overseeing the matter, as he was not involved in politics.
Gálvez was a military general before joining the administration as an advisor to the peace process after his retirement.
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What you need to know about the coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
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