500K more Sinovac doses arrive in Manila
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Thursday received 500,000 more doses of vaccines from Chinese drug maker Sinovac as it continues to secure more COVID-19 jabs to meet its inoculation targets and to lower the number of infections.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the half-a-million doses of the China-made shots were to be delivered late Thursday afternoon.
"More or less 100,000 doses will go to Metro Manila. The deployment will be done in two to three days and we expect it to be administered within one week," Galvez said.
Another 500,000 doses of Sinovac jabs are scheduled to arrive on April 29, he added.
The Philippines has ordered 25 million doses of Sinovac vaccines but has also procured COVID-19 shots from other suppliers. A total of 1.5 million doses of Sinovac vaccines purchased by the government and one million doses donated by the Chinese government have arrived prior to yesterday's delivery.
Galvez said 15,000 doses of Russia-made vaccine Sputnik V are scheduled to be delivered on April 25. Another 480,000 doses of the Sputnik V jabs are expected to arrive on April 29.
"I think for the next volume, which is bigger, the 485,000 (doses to be delivered) at the end of the month, we will request at Sen. Bong Go and the president (to witness the arrival)," Galvez said.
The Philippines is purchasing 20 million doses of Russian vaccine Sputnik V as part of its effort to meet its target of vaccinating 70 million people by yearend.
Galvez said 195,000 doses of vaccines developed by American firm Pfizer may also arrive this month. AstraZeneca jabs acquired through the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility may also be delivered within the month, he added.
The government expects two million doses of Sinovax shots, as much as two million Sputnik V jabs, and 194,000 Moderna vaccines to arrive next month.
Other possible deliveries for the month of May are 1.2 million doses of Pfizer vaccines and an undetermined number of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the COVAX facility.
For the month of June, the government is expecting the arrival of 4.5 million doses of Sinovac jabs, two million doses of Sputnik V vaccines, and 1.3 million doses of AstraZeneca shots.
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