Philippines gets 3 million more Sinovac, 2 million Pfizer doses
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Sunday night received more than five million COVID-19 vaccine doses, a combination of procured Sinovac and donated Pfizer jabs from the COVAX Facility.
A Philippine Airlines plane delivered the three million Sinovac doses sometime at 6 p.m. while an Emirates plane carrying the 2,020,590 Pfizer doses arrived late-evening of September 19.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the additional Sinovac would be distributed to Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas and Davao region.
This latest shipment brought the country's Sinovac doses to 36 million, making it still the largest number of vaccine supply in the country.
Some 34.1 million of that figure was procured by the national government, 500,000 by the private sector and 400,000 by local governments. The 1 million remaining were donations from Beijing.
Galvez said the Pfizer doses, meanwhile, would go to the same areas but along with Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley.
The World Health Organization's representative to the country, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, last week said the COVAX Facility would be providing the Philippines some 10 million more doses in the coming weeks.
"That is meant to help the Philippines respond to the current surge and protect as many Filipino lives as possible," he said, referring to the fresh uptick in cases where authorities have reported more than 20,000 infections in weeks.
The new Pfizer doses brought the country's supply of the said vaccine to 8.62 million to date.
Some 4.68 million of that were coursed through the global initiative COVAX Facility, while 3.93 million were purchased. The government has signed a total of 40 million Pfizer doses with the US manufacturer.
The Philippines began its inoculation efforts in March, with a goal of vaccinating up to 70 million this year.
By September 18, official data showed there are now 18.47 million Filipinos fully vaccinated for COVID-19 against the target in 2021.
Some 22.77 million, meanwhile, have since received a first dose.
A new thread on the Philippines' vaccination program in 2021 in the government's revised objective to reach "population protection." Bookmark our COVID-19 and Vaccination Dashboard for the latest figures on the pandemic in the Philippines. — Main image: The STAR/Michael Varcas, file
The city government of Valenzuela City announces that it is temporarily suspending the use of Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccines as they wait for more vaccine supplies.
ADVISORY: Pansamantalang inihinto ang pagbabakuna ng Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine sa Valenzuela habang naghihintay ng karagdagang supply. (????: Valenzuela LGU) pic.twitter.com/j4yO52jgMN
— PTVph (@PTVph) August 7, 2023
Pasig City government announces the schedule of COVID-19 vaccination in the city from July 15 until July 28.
It advises residents that first, second dose and first and 2nd booster shots are available on a first come, first serve basis in its designated vaccination sites.
Among the available vaccine brands is Sinovac for 6 years old and above. It adds that there are no Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines yet for residents age 12 and above.
Schedule ng Pagbabakuna sa Pasig City |07/25/2023-07/28/2023 | First Come, First Served Basis
— Pasig Info (@PasigInfo) July 24, 2023
Tingnan ang material para sa vaccination sites kung saan makakapagpa - 1st at 2nd dose, at 1st at 2nd booster shot; at kung ano ang mga dapat dalhin sa araw ng pagbabakuna
1/3 pic.twitter.com/yqKG0S41CM
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to lead the rollout of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City. — The STAR/Helen Flores
President Marcos will lead the launch of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City on Wednesday morning. (Photo courtesy of MPC pool) | @helenmflores pic.twitter.com/wbB2An7xgg
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) June 21, 2023
The Department of Health reminds public that they can still avail of the COVID-19 booster and bivalent booster. It reposted an infographic that determines when it is best to get the first two boosters and the bivalent booster.
Senior citizens and frontline health workers may now get their second booster shots, particularly mRNA jabs such as Moderna and Pfizer, the Department of Health announces. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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