One million doses of China’s Sinovac Biotech vaccines against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are expected to arrive in the country this month, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday, April 19.
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said 500,000 doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine are expected to be delivered in the country on April 22 and another batch of 500,000 doses will arrive on April 29.
“This April may dumating na tayo na 500,000 Sinovac na prinocure (This April, we have received 500,000 Sinovac vaccines that were procured),” Cabotaje said in a virtual press briefing.
“There’s another 1 million that’s arriving. 500,000 on April 22 and another on April 29,” she added.
An initial 20,000 doses of Gamaleya’s Sputnik V vaccines may also arrive soon, ahead of the additional 480,000 doses of the Russian-made vaccine which may arrive by end of the month.
The health official said that a bulk of 194,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines may arrive by the end of April.
In May, another 2.5 million doses of Sinovac vaccines are also expected to be delivered in the country, Cabotaje said.
Additional doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility may also arrive next month or early June to cover for the second dose of those vaccinated with AstraZeneca.
“Marami pang nakalaan na mga vaccines but you know it’s still the global shortage and kung siguradong darating o hindi (There are more vaccines allocated but you know it’s still the global shortage and whether it will definitely arrive or not),” Cabotaje said.
She noted that vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. has already signed supply agreements for additional COVID-19 vaccines.
“Ang problema (The problem) all over the world is really the shortage,” she said.
The Philippines has administered 1,456,793 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of April 17, out of the 3,025,600 doses delivered in the country.