Philippine Ambassador to United States Jose Manuel Romualdez clarified that the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine against Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) will only be delayed for several months due to other countries’ early agreement.
In a tweet, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. stated that 10 million doses of vaccine from Pfizer are sure to arrive in January until “somebody dropped the ball.”
“That said my thanks just the same to US Sec of State Mike Pompeo we—Babe Romualdez and I—got 10 million doses of Pfizer financed by World Bank and ADB to be shipped thru FEDEX to Clark in January. BUT SOMEBODY DROPPED THE BALL. I have steel ball bearings. I just need a slingshot.”
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III called on the vaccine manufacturing companies to have larger outputs so that no country will be left behind.
There is still no approved vaccine to date, but Pfizer has been given an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), and Singapore. – Report from Mark Fetalco
