The Philippines was willing to accept Chinese vaccines from COVAX, according to Galvez.
On Monday, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said that the Philippines was willing to accept either of the Chinese vaccines that COVAX will be distributing to beneficiary countries.
Galvez said during the weekly “Talk to the People” briefing led by President Rodrigo Duterte that the Philippines was willing to receive either Sinopharm or Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines from the global vaccine-sharing facility and that those vaccines will most likely be available next month.
“[Ang] COVAX baka mag-donate ng Chinese vaccine, either Sinopharm or Sinovac. Ang sabi namin, we are willing to receive Sinovac or Sinopharm. Kung ano po available,” Galvez said.
Last week, vaccine alliance GAVI said that it had signed two advance purchase agreements with Chinese drugmakers in order to provide up to 550 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the program.
The deals will include up to 170 million Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine doses and up to 380 million Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine doses through to the middle of 2022.
According to Galvez, the Philippines currently had a stockpile of 12,826,099 COVID-19 vaccine doses enough for an average of 400,000 vaccine doses daily for 32 days.
This means, according to Galvez, the Philippines will have a supply that will last up to August 17.
The Philippines had so far received 27,922,360 COVID-19 vaccine doses since it started its COVID-19 vaccination program last March and the largest volume of weekly COVID-19 vaccine deliveries in the country was achieved in the period from July 14 to July 17 with 7,142,450 COVID-19 vaccine doses received.
Galvez also said that the Philippines was still expecting a shipment of 136.1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses within the next six months.
The vaccine czar also said that COVID-19 vaccines will be deployed to areas of concern amidst the Delta COVID-19 variant. These include Metro Manila, Western Visayas, northern Mindanao, and areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
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