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The Philippines will have enough vaccines for at least 70 million Filipinos in 2021, said presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Jr.
Roque made the assurance despite the fact that the arrival of the first batch of 117,000 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility has been delayed due to the lack of a compensation measure by the Philippine government in the event of a COVID – The recipient of the vaccine suffers adverse side effects.
Roque said the Philippines will secure more than 160 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine of the following:
- 44 million doses from the WHO-led COVAX facility, due to arrive in February
- 25 million doses of Sinovac, arriving in February
- 10 to 15 million doses of Gamaleya (Sputnik V), arriving in April
- 30 million doses of Novavax, arriving in May
- 17 million AstraZeneca doses, arriving in May
- 20 million doses of Moderna, arriving in July
- 15 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, arriving in August and
- five million doses of Johnson and Johnson (Janssen), due to arrive in October
Most of the vaccines listed above are given in two doses, except the Johnson and Johnson single-shot vaccine.
“We will have vaccines because we not only depend on Western vaccines. There is also Novovax, which will be the largest volume that we will ask for ‘no’, said Roque at a press conference.
“We are so comfortable that we will have enough vaccines,” added Roque.
In addition to the installation of COVAX, which is a global effort that helps the COVID-19 response of developing countries, the vaccine manufacturers are from Western countries, with the exception of Sinovac from China and Gamaleya from Russia.
Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez, Jr., previously said that at least 70 million Filipinos will receive COVID-10 vaccines within 2021 at best.
The Philippine Food and Drug Administration has only issued an Emergency Use Authorization (US) to two vaccine brands so far: Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca.
An EUA is required for a vaccine to be legally administered in the country.
However, the FDA issued a compassionate special permit for 10,000 doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine for use by members of the Presidential Safety Group. – BM, GMA News
