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(Philstar.com) – Feb 3, 2021 – 10:55 a.m. M.
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Red Cross is looking to buy 2.2 million vaccines from Western manufacturers, its president said Wednesday.
“I have asked, if I may, from large companies like AstraZeneca two million [doses], Modern 200,000 [doses]”Said Senator Richard Gordon, also president of the People’s Republic of China, in Filipino during an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo. He added that the organization will also engage in talks with other companies.
The rules established by the COVID-19 working group require local governments and private entities to sign tripartite agreements with the national government and pharmaceutical companies to purchase vaccines.
Gordon said in early January that the People’s Republic of China was in talks with Pfizer, but noted that the negotiations were in the early stages. He also said at the time that the organization was considering a “buy one, donate one” scheme to be implemented in its own vaccination program.
Last month, the senator said the People’s Republic of China would help administer vaccines to around one million Filipinos, noting that the organization’s experience in administering other injections against diseases such as polio and measles would help the national program vaccination.
To date, only two vaccines have received emergency use authorization (US) from local regulators: AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
At a televised meeting of the coronavirus task force Monday night, Secretary Carlito Gálvez Jr., also a vaccine czar, said the government has already signed term sheets with five pharmacists, which will assure the country up to 108 million doses of vaccines.
But the term sheets are non-binding agreements, meaning the government has yet to execute final supply agreements with the pharmaceutical companies it is in talks with. Gálvez said he expects to finalize the vaccine deals with pharmaceutical companies in mid-February.
With more than half a million infections and more than 10,000 deaths, the Philippines has the second worst outbreak in Southeast Asia. The country expects to begin its immunization program within a month.
– Bella Perez-Rubio with reports from Gaea Katreena Cabico and The STAR
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