The Philippines received an additional two million Sinovac vaccine doses on Monday (Sep. 13) morning.
The two million Sinovac doses aboard flight number PR 361 landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 at past 7:00 a.m. Vaccine czar and National Task Force against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. led the arrival ceremony of the shipment.
Galvez explained that the arrival of the additional vaccine will help in strengthening the government’s vaccination program. The two million doses are set to be deployed in various provinces and areas with high numbers of COVID-19 infections.
“Priority natin ang different regions like 4A, Region 6, Region 11, Region 9 at ‘yung tinatawag nating surge area. ‘Yun lahat priority po natin yan.”
He emphasized the importance of strengthening the vaccine roll-out especially that the Delta variant contributes to the increase of the COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, 61 million more vaccine doses from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVAX facility are expected to arrive next week.
Report from Louisa Erispe/NGS-rir