China pledges to donate more COVID-19 vaccines to Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — China pledged Thursday that it will donate more COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines, which will boost Manila’s jab supply amid the threat of the more contagious Delta coronavirus variant.
“As the Philippines is facing an increase in demand of vaccines, we will donate more and substantively increase supply of vaccines to the Philippines,” Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said during the inauguration of the China-funded Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge that connects the cities of Makati and Mandaluyong.
The Chinese envoy did not specify how many doses would be donated and what vaccine brand they will be giving to the Philippines.
The China-made Sinovac shot currently makes up the bulk of the Philippines’ vaccine supply, accounting for 18.5 million of the 32,861,300 doses Manila has so far received. Of these doses, one million were donated by the Chinese government.
Japan and the United States have also donated vaccines to the Philippines, with Tokyo giving Manila 1,124,100 AstraZeneca doses and Washington providing 3,240,850 Johnson & Johnson doses through the global vaccine sharing platform COVAX facility.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has also pledged to donate 415,000 AstraZeneca doses to the Philippines.
Data presented by Malacañang on Thursday show that 7.27 million, or just 6.66% of the population, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, far behind the government’s goal of inoculating at least 50 to 60 million people by year-end, a target that has been revised downward from its initial aim of vaccinating 70 million to achieve herd immunity.
A new thread on the Philippines' vaccination program in 2021 in the government's revised objective to reach "population protection." (Main image: The STAR/Michael Varcas, file)
As of August 22, about 12% of the estimated 109 million population have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to date from the pandemic task force.
- First dose: 17,258,675
- Second dose: 13,130,485
- Total doses administered: 30,389,160
An additional 582,500 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Friday morning.
It is part of the private sector's "A Dose of Hope" program, pioneered by Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion.
An estimated 10.45% of the 109 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 between March 1 and August 9, according to government data.
- Total doses administered: 24,479,750
- First dose: 13,087,781
- Second dose: 11,391,969
[VACCINE ROLLOUT UPDATE: 09 August 2021]
— Department of Health (@DOHgovph) August 9, 2021
As of 08 August 2021, 6PM, a total of 24,479,750 doses have already been administered. 13,087,781 have received their first doses while 11,391,969 have already gotten the complete protection of the COVID-19 vaccines. pic.twitter.com/wHZ7tYh10q
The Philippines on Tuesday receives 3,000,060 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines donated by the United States.
The latest donation is part of the P1.38 billion assistance of the US government to the Philippines since the onset of the pandemic.
Last month, more than 3 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the American government arrived in the country.
The Department of Tourism hails the City of Manila's drive-thru vaccination site at Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park which opened on Saturday.
“With the move to revert Metro Manila to the stricter enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) measure, this initiative will help establish the much needed resistance against the Delta variant of the virus," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat says.
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