Philippines receives 3 million donated Moderna doses from US
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Tuesday got more donated supply of COVID-19 vaccines, this time of some 3,000,060 doses of Moderna's jabs from the United States.
Washington's donation was coursed through the COVAX Facility, the global initiative co-led by the World Health Organization.
President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed the arrival of the jabs at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay on the afternoon of August 3.
This marks the latest additonal vaccine supply from the US, after it sent over 3.2 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's single-shot jab last month.
Its arrival comes as authorities race against time to vaccinate more people, with infections up across the country that experts said the Delta variant may be playing a factor.
"Recent COVID-19 outbreaks in the region remind us all that this pandemic is not yet over," said US embassy chargé d'affaires John Law. "But the science is clear: the best way to stay healthy, keep your loved ones safe, and bring this pandemic to an end is to get vaccinated."
Per government figures, there are now 13.39% or 9.36 million Filipinos complete with their vaccine shots.
That is out of the target of 70 million inoculated this year by officials to meet herd immunity. Some 16.92% or 11.84 million, meanwhile, have received their initial dose.
Duterte in his speech at the Villarmor Air Base thanked the US government for its newly donated doses.
In his address last night, he admitted Washington's shipment of jabs helped his decision to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries.
The president had repeatedly threatened to abrogate the decades-long military deal, to the point of dangling it in exchange for vaccines.
"Indeed, the cooperation between the Philippines and the US in overcoming the pandemic highlights the strong and deep friendship between our two countries," Duterte said.
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