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.
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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.