The Philippine government expected 20 million Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine doses in the next 4 months, according to Galvez.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday said that the Philippine government expected 20 million Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine doses in the next 4 months.
Galvez said in an ANC interview that the Philippine government was expecting to get 20 million Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine doses in the next four months, eyeing its use to senior citizens while AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines were temporarily unavailable in the Philippines.
According to Galvez, their negotiations were ongoing and they’re expecting the signing of the supply agreement this week.
Also, Galvez disclosed that 500,000 of the 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses will arrive in the Philippines this April as part of the “mini rollout” of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine.
Based on its emergency use authorization (EUA), Galvez said that Sputnik V can be used on senior citizens while the AstraZeneca vaccines remained unavailable in the Philippines because of supply shortage.
READ ALSO: 5 More Vaccine Manufacturers Yet To Get EUA In PH — FDA
“Nakita po natin sa EUA niya, puwede po siyang gamitin sa elderly, so from 18 and above. So ‘yun po ang gagamitin namin at ‘yun po ang maganda para at least in the absence of AstraZeneca, ‘yun po ang pwede namin pong gamitin,” Galvez said.
Initially, the Philippine government only used AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for senior citizens while Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines were administered to persons aged 18 to 59.
However, different local government units faced a shortage in vaccine supply. The shortage of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines prompted the Food and Drug Administration to allow Sinovac’s use for the senior population.
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