The United Arab Emirates (UAE) intends to donate half a million coronavirus vaccines to the Philippines, according to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.
Galvez revealed the upcoming foreign donation of vaccine doses developed by China's Sinopharm during a televised press briefing Thursday, April 29.
"I believe iyong UAE, they have the intention also of donating iyong 500,000 na Sinopharm," Galvez, chief implementer of the government's plan against the pandemic, said.
The planned vaccine donation will be on top of the 1 million doses earlier given by China to the Philippines, Galvez noted.
Sinopharm has yet to get any emergency use approval for the use of its coronavirus vaccines in the country. The Food and Drug Administration has granted a compassionate permit to the Presidential Security Group for the use of 10,000 doses of Sinopharm last February.
The Chinese drug manufacturer reported its vaccine has an efficacy rate of over 79 percent.
So far, the country has received around 4 million coronavirus vaccines, including the 500,000 Sinovac shots delivered Thursday. More than 1.5 million people have already been vaccinated since the government started the free inoculation drive last March.
More vaccines supplies procured by the government are expected to arrive soon. The initial batch of Russia's Sputnik V vaccines will be delivered to the country on May 1, according to Galvez.
The government aims to vaccinate 70 million Filipino adults this year to attain herd immunity against the coronavirus. The contagious disease has infected more than a million people in the country since the outbreak last year. More than 17,000 people have died from the illness in the country.