Philippine vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr said that the government is willing to pay more to secure earlier access to COVID-19 vaccines within the first half of the year.

Galvez made the statement during a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday night, February 24, after setbacks in the delivery of initial doses delayed the start of the country’s inoculation campaign that was eyed to begin by February. 

“Iyong ongoing negotiation po natin sa mga ibang vaccine ay kailangan po na ina-ano po namin na kung puwede silang magkaroon ng early delivery. At nagne-negotiate din po tayo kahit mapamahal nang kaunti basta ma-early delivery lang po sila ng second quarter at saka po ng first quarter,” Galvez said.

(In our ongoing negations for vaccines, we’re asking if it’s possible to have an early delivery. We’re negotiating to have early delivery in the second and first quarter even if vaccines will be slightly more expensive.)

The retired general said that the Philippines expects to receive about 5.1 million doses in the first quarter of 2021, and about 24.1 million doses in the second quarter. 

He explained that the “technique” they’re using is to try to get an earlier delivery of vaccines even at higher prices so that the increase in the prices could be “offset earlier” as well.

Galvez and other Philippine pandemic officials earlier targeted to start the country’s mass vaccination campaign by the end of February with doses of AstraZeneca and Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine to be supplied under the COVAX global facility. But paperwork and the lack of an indemnification law in the country have stalled the delivery of vaccines to be used on priority sectors including health workers, senior citizens, and vulnerable populations. 

Aside from vaccines to be supplied by COVAX, the Philippines is in talks to directly purchase shots from Moderna, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceutica), US firms Pfizer and BioNTech, British firm AstraZeneca, China’s Sinovac, and Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute. 

Galvez said officials are also trying to negotiate with the United Kingdom, China, India, and Russia to increase vaccines expected to be delivered to the Philippines in the first quarter. 

Under the current timeline of deliveries, the Philippines expects to receive the bulk of vaccines in the third to fourth quarter of 2021 for a “major” rollout. 

Galvez said the Philippines is supposed to receive 161 million doses by the end of 2021 to vaccinate 50 to 70 million adult Filipinos “in a best case scenario.” This number would be just enough to reach the recommended 60% to 70% of the population to reach herd immunity against COVID-19, based on scientists’ estimates. – Rappler.com

Read Rappler’s series of explainers on the Duterte government’s vaccine program below:

• TRACKER: Which COVID-19 vaccines are being eyed by the Philippines?
• PH to prioritize high-risk areas, sectors for COVID-19 vaccine rollout
• How FDA grants emergency approval for COVID-19 vaccines, meds
• EXPLAINER: What to expect once COVID-19 vaccines arrive in the Philippines
• EXPLAINER: How COVID-19 vaccines will get from warehouses to you
• Securing vaccine deals: A checklist for local governments
• Gov’t releases new vaccine priority list, includes persons with comorbidities
• MAP: Which countries have started their COVID-19 vaccination program?
• LIST: Local governments’ plans, deals, and budget for COVID-19 vaccines