PH to get 5.6 million vaccine doses from COVAX in 1st quarter of 2021

At least 5.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from two pharmaceutical companies are expected to arrive in the Philippines within the 1st quarter of 2021 through the global initiative COVAX.

These will “jump-start the country’s national vaccination program as part of the global efforts to stop the spread of [the] coronavirus,” said vaccine czar and National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr in a statement on Sunday, January 31.

The COVAX Facility, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), will provide 117,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. “These are expected to be delivered in mid-February and will cover the 1st quarter supply commitment,” Galvez added.

The country will also receive 5,500,800 to 9,290,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. AstraZeneca is still waiting for emergency use listing from the WHO.

“The ‘indicative’ numbers of [AstraZeneca] doses reflect only the supply for the first two quarters of 2021. The initial delivery is scheduled by mid to late February as stated in the letter,” Galvez said.

Aurélia Nguyen, managing director of the COVAX Facility, informed the Philippine government about these in a letter.

The government had received confirmation on January 20 that it would be among the countries included in the COVAX distribution of vaccines for an early rollout.

Galvez then noted that according to COVAX, “the number of doses and the projected arrival of the vaccines are all indicative since it all depends on the global supply.”

“The vaccines under COVAX can now inoculate our healthcare workers, medical-related personnel, and other frontliners,” he said.

The Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines have received emergency use authorization from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration. (READ: EXPLAINERS: What to expect once COVID-19 vaccines arrive in the Philippines | How COVID-19 vaccines will get from warehouses to you)

Galvez also said that based on their visits, they “have seen that many LGUs (local government units) and the private sector are now ready for the vaccine rollout – from their vaccination sites, to their cold storage equipment and facilities, to their personnel.”

“We hope that these kinds of preparations will be replicated nationwide,” added Galvez.

He also reiterated that while vaccines are already set to arrive, “we must also push for ‘vaccine plus’ or the strict observance of minimum health standards – the wearing of face masks, maintaining social distancing, and practicing proper hygiene.” – Rappler.com