Philippines gets 703,000 more Pfizer doses

MANILA, Philippines — More doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine have reached the Philippines under the government's procured supply. 

An Air Hongkong plane carrying the 703,000 doses landed at the NAIA Terminal 3 on Wednesday evening, according to the National Task Force Against COVID-19. 

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said majority of the additional supply would go to hard-hit regions such as Calabarzon, Central Luzon and Ilocos Region, to name a few. 

He added the government wants the jabs to reach areas that have never received Pfizer doses so they would be knowledgeable in handling the jabs when more arrive in the coming months.

Wednesday's delivery is part of the 40 million doses in total the government secured with the US manufacturer. 

It brought the country's overall supply of Pfizer doses to 5.65 million, per Philstar.com's research. 

Some 3.18 million of that were procured, while 2.47 million were donations coursed through the COVAX Facility. 

By end of August, official figures showed there are now 13.95 million Filipinos fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

That is 18.10% out of the 70 million the government is targeting this year to meet "population protection."

Some 19.74 million, meanwhile, have received their first dose.