Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday disclosed that at least 117,000 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be delivered to the Philippines this month along with some 5.5 million to nine million doses of vaccines from AstraZeneca arriving on the first and second quarters.
“Sa ngayon po, ang inaasahan natin ngayong buwan na ito ay darating na raw ang unang in-order na vaccine mula sa COVAX. Itong COVAX po ay mula sa WHO at sila po ang nangako na magpapadala ng 117,000 na Pfizer vaccines at AstraZeneca, about 5.5 million to nine million. (We are hoping that the first order of vaccines from COVAX will be arriving this month. This COVAX is from the World Health Organization (WHO) and it is the one that promised to send 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines and about 5.5 million to nine million from AstraZeneca),” Go said.
The senator aired this assurance during In an ambush interview after he attended the launch of the country’s 100th Malasakit Center at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City.
Go, chairman of the Senate health committee, added that the frontliners, who dedicate their lives in the battle against COVID-19, would receive the first batch of the vaccines purchased by the government for the first quarter of 2021.
The private sector and the government will procure more vaccines for the second quarter.
“Ito po ang unang roll out. Uunahin po ang frontliners para patuloy silang makapagserbisyo. Ito po sa first quarter. Sa second quarter naman, ine-expect nila ang iba’t ibang order po mula sa ating mga pribadong sector at government procurement (This is the first roll out. First priority are the frontliners so that they would continue with their work. This is for the first quarter. For the second quarter, we expect other orders from the private sector and government procurement),” he said.
The senator from Davao pointed out that the huge demand for vaccines amid limited supply has become a challenge for the whole world.
“Problema po ngayon siguro ay supply. Nag-uunahan po ang supply sa ibang bansa. Nababalitaan namin na mismong malalaking bansa ay nag-o-order na rin po. Kahit sila mismo ay mga kumpanya na nagpo-produce ng vaccine ay nag-o-order na rin po sa ibang bansa dahil kulang po ang kanilang supply. (The problem is supply. Other countries are competing to get their supplies. We heard that big countries are making orders. Though they are vaccine makers themselves, they order from other countries because their vaccine production is facing shortages),” lamented the lawmaker.
Go, a former Special Assistant to President Duterte, assured that President Duterte is closely monitoring the developments regarding the country’s vaccine procurement until the government fulfills its targets to inoculate 50 to 70 million Filipinos.
‘’Sa first roll out ng vaccine na gagawin na po ngayong Pebrero, sa Marso po another order. In the third quarter po, another order na naman po ang darating and, hopefully, by the end of the year, ma-vaccinate na po ang 50 to 70 million Filipinos and, by that time, makapag-adjust na at ma-attain na natin ang herd immunity. (The first roll out will be this month, then another order in March. In the third quarter, another order will be arriving, and hopefully by the end of the year, some 50 to 70 million Filipinos will have been vaccinated. We can adjust and attain herd immunity),” he added.