MANILA – China is ready to ship 500,000 doses of donated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines anytime according to vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force against COVID-19 Carlito Galvez Jr.
Galvez said Tuesday, Chinese firm Sinovac – manufacturer of Coronavac – is just waiting for the emergency use authorization (EUA) from the food and Drug Administration to deliver the vaccines.
China promised to donate 500,000 doses of vaccines last month as a part of the earlier commitment made by Chinese President Xi Jinping who said the Philippines will be prioritized once a Beijing-developed vaccine becomes available.
Aside from the donation, the first batch of 50,000 Sinovac doses the country has purchased is expected to arrive on the last week of February or first week of March.
Apart from Sinovac, Galvez states the national government is targeting to accomplish the supply agreements with five COVID-19 vaccines product by the end of the month.
He said the country has locked in 106 to 108 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines after signing the five term sheets with the manufacturers that includes mode of payments and delivery schedules.
The government aims to secure around 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate some 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year. /PN
