The country is now aiming to vaccinate 60 million Filipinos and achieve herd immunity as negotiations are underway with leading COVID-19 vaccine developers such as AstraZeneca, Sinovac, and Pfizer.
Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. told President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night that five developers will conduct clinical trials in the country, including Sinovac, Janssen of Johnson & Johnson, Gamaleya, AstraZeneca, and one from China.
Galvez said the Philippines may enter into advance market commitments with AstraZeneca of the United Kingdom by November the quota of which is 20 million doses with a vaccine priced at “more or less five dollars.”
“Inano po namin before November 30 po magkakaroon na po tayo ng tinatawag na pirmahan ng MOU (We are working it out so that the signing of MOU [memorandum of understanding] will take place before November 30),” he disclosed.
Pfizer has also a good offer which is being considered after Sinovac and AstraZeneca. “Just in case makuha natin ang tatlong ito, makakabuo po tayo ng 60 million next year (We can have 60 million by next year if we acquire these three).”
The distribution of the vaccines will be “geographical” and “sectoral” which will target epicenters and its infected and vulnerable sectors. “Kasi talagang dapat po talaga i-deploy ‘yan doon sa mga tinatawag na contaminated area. Kung ide-deploy po ‘yan sa mga unaffected area, hindi po magiging effective ang ating trial ano po at saka hindi po magiging ano ‘yung evaluation po natin (We have to deploy it to contaminated areas. Our trial will be ineffective if we deploy it to unaffected areas),” Galvez explained.
Meanwhile, President Duterte reiterated the immunization prioritization of police and military “who are really the errand boy of the Republic” as he cited their relief and rescue contributions during calamities.
Vaccine funding
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez shared that the Philippines has three sources of funds for the acquisition of vaccines which include multilateral agencies, domestic sources, and bilateral sources.
“Ang unang source natin ‘yung mga multilateral agencies ADB at saka World Bank… Ang estimate namin we will have around ₱40 billion from them (Our first sources are multilateral agencies ADB [Asian Development Bank] and World Bank… Our estimate is we will have around ₱40 billion from them),” he reported.
Domestic sources which include LandBank and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) may provide ₱20 billion, while a total of ₱13.2 billion is expected to come from bilateral sources.
In case a vaccine would cost $25 or around ₱1,200 “₱73.2 billion pesos is good for 60 million people to be vaccinated” which is “more or less what we have in line,” Dominguez assured – PTV News Online
