A total of 575,800 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses were delivered to the country today (Aug. 13), as part of the “A Dose of Hope” initiative of the private sector.
The latest shipment is half of the more than one million AstraZeneca doses included in the November 27 tripartite agreement with the private sector.
The majority of the vaccines will be allocated to private companies and establishments in the National Capital Region (NCR).
“This month of August, mga 1.15 [million doses] din ‘yan eh… About 50% of that arrived today. Maybe at the end of next week ang kasunod noon – the additional,” Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said.
“Pati ‘yung mga [order ng] LGU [local government unit], kasama na rin dito sa mga delivery. By September, 80% ng mga arrivals pupunta na sa LGU,” he added.
National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said they would also provide government-procured vaccines to the private sector if the latter would need additional doses.
“They are more than willing na kung kailangan namin [government] ng second dose, we can get it from the private sector. ‘Yan ang kagandahan ng partnership namin,” Galvez said.
The NTF said the country has 42,106,150 doses as of Aug. 13 afternoon, with around 12 million fully vaccinated individuals.
“Sa computation namin, if we’re able to breach ‘yung five million per week, makukuha natin ‘yung 15 million ngayong August,” Galvez said. – Report from Louisa Erispe/AG-rir
