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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Sinovac vaccines have no final price yet -- Galvez

Sinovac vaccines have no final price yet -- Galvez

Published Jan 18, 2021 12:45 pm

Vaccines from Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac have no final price yet, the country's testing czar said Monday. 

(NOEL CELIS / AFP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

Secretary Vince Dizon, Deputy Chief Implementer of the National Action Plan Against COVID -19, assured that prices, as well as the volumes of vaccines for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) procured will be disclosed by the government once negotiations with vaccine manufacturers have concluded.

"What we can assure the general public is that negotiations are ongoing. And when these negotiations have been concluded, then the issues, such as price volume will all be disclosed to the general public," Dizon  said during a television interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.

Dizon said that  Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. is bound by confidentiality agreements not just with Sinovac but all the vaccine manufacturers.  

"All of them require confidentiality agreements while negotiations are taking place, but once those negotiations have ended and the terms have been finalized, then all of those terms will be disclosed," he added.

Galvez has already refuted earlier claims that the national government purchased the vaccine from Chinese firm, Sinovac, at a higher price  compared to other countries.

He was criticized after he mentioned that vaccines from Sinovac are "cheaper" compared to other brands.

Senator Sonny Angara provided data that showed two doses of Sinovac vaccines are priced at P3,692.50 which is higher than Pfizer's P2,379, Gamaleya's P1,220, AstraZeneca's P610, and Novavax's P366. 

On Sunday, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Sinovac is only around P650. Dizon clarified there is still no definite price since negotiations are still ongoing and what Roque mentioned was just the indicative range. 

"The price is largely dependent for anything being bought and sold on the volume of the order. Indonesia, I think, based on what I've read, Indonesia ordered 160 million doses from Sinovac. Whereas in the Philippines I think Secretary Galvez disclosed that roughly we are only ordering about 20 to 25 million," Dizon said. 

He said, however, that the price will not be far from the price that has already been disclosed by Indonesia, because they have already concluded their agreement with Sinovac.  

"But nonetheless, Secretary Roque  has disclosed, and also Secretary Galvez has disclosed that it will not be far from the publicly disclosed price of Indonesia," he added.

Dizon stated that the focus should remain on ensuring that the country will have access to the very limited supply of vaccines in the global market. 

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