National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the national government is continuously negotiating with different vaccine manufacturers to assure the country’s supply.
In the Talk to the People presidential briefing on Wednesday night (May 5), Galvez confirmed that a new batch of AstraZeneca vaccine will be arriving in May. He said “more or less one million or two million” doses are expected to arrive.
“Mayroon po tayong… makukuha ngayong May, more or less baka mga one million or two million na AstraZeneca. Iyong definite date lang po ang ina-ano po natin. So matutuwa na po ‘yong mga nakapag-first dose, dahil kasi mayroon pong padating na COVAX na AstraZeneca,” he said.
The vaccine czar added that 1.3 million doses of Pfizer vaccine from COVAX will also arrive in May.
“Maganda po ‘yong negotiation po namin kanina ng Pfizer, at dadaloy na nga po ‘yong…Pfizer na mga COVAX po natin, na may assurance na po na 1.3 million ang darating sa May.”
COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access) is a global initiative that aims to provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Galvez also confirmed that an initial rollout of 193,000 Pfizer vaccine doses is expected on May 11, and that the total number of vaccines to arrive in the Philippines in May may reach seven million with the expected arrival of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.
“Ang maganda po dito, ‘yong delivery natin…ng May, baka po from four million, madadagdagan po tayo ng seven million. Malaki po ‘yon, Mr. President, kasi ang dadagdag po dito ‘yong COVAX,” he said. (PTV News)/NGS-jlo
