The government has purchased 89 million doses of coronavirus vaccines amounting around $1 billion so far amid efforts to step up the inoculation of Filipinos against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Of this vaccine purchase, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government has already paid $400 million for the life-saving drugs secured from foreign suppliers.
The country has so far received 20.7 million doses of coronavirus jabs, including Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Sputnik V. The recent deliveries to the Philippines included 132,200 Sputnik V jabs, over 2 million AstraZeneca donated under COVAX facility, and 1.1 million donated by the government of Japan.
"Ang gobyerno po natin ay may mga iba’t ibang kontrata sa iba’t ibang mga vaccine manufacturers. Ang total na na-procure po natin so far ay—procure, ibig sabihin binili – ay 89 million doses at ang halaga nito ay mahigit-kumulang isang bilyong dolyares (The government has different contracts with vaccine manufacturers. The total vaccines procured, meaning bought, is 89 million doses worth approximately $1 billion)," Roque said during televised press briefing Monday.
"So far, government has paid 400 million US dollars from GAA (General Appropriations Act) doon sa ating budget at saka sa mga (from our national budget and funds from) multilateral financial institutions)," Roque said.
Additional coronavirus jabs have also been secured by the country under the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility. Roque noted that the finance department was coordinating with the Department of Health about the amount of these COVAX-donated jabs.
At present, the government administered 13 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to the public, mostly health workers, seniors, people with comorbidity, and essential workers. More than 3.5 million people have so far been fully vaccinated since the vaccination program started last March.
Roque appealed anew to the public to get vaccinated as soon as possible to avoid the COVID illness. Those who got the first shot of the vaccines are reminded to receive the second dose.