The Japanese government is donating one million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to the Philippines to help the country achieve its goal of herd immunity, Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko said on Tuesday.
In a tweet, Koshikawa said the shipment is expected to arrive in Manila “tentatively on July 8”.
“One step closer to the Philippines’ goal of herd immunity? Count us in! One million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from Japan are expected to arrive in Manila tentatively on July 8. We are working double time so this donation reaches the Philippine shores without delay. Stay tuned!” the Japanese envoy said.
The Japanese Embassy in Manila said the donation to the Philippines was formalized with the signing and exchange of notes between Embassy Charge d'Affaires Nakata Masahiro and Foreign Affairs Secretary Nathaniel Imperial on Tuesday, June 29.
Koshikawa first broke the “good news” that Japan will donate AstraZeneca vaccines to the Philippines in a social media post on June 15 following an official announcement made by his government in Tokyo.
Aside from the Philippines, Japan will also send two million vaccine doses to Taiwan and Vietnam, while another one million doses each to Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan has pledged $1 billion and 30 million doses to the COVAX facility.
Meanwhile, the Philippines is eyeing to procure excess COVID-19 vaccines from Canada, according to Philippine Ambassador Rodolfo Robles.
"I had the Philippines listed among those who are interested to get the excess of Canada," Robles told Malacañang reporters on Monday, June 28, 2021.
It was reported that Canada secured about 180 million vaccine doses to cover its 40 million population.