Close to two million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will soon arrive in the Philippines from the Government of Japan.
Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu announced on Friday, Oct. 15, that they will provide another batch of the Japan-manufactured vaccines with a total of 1.96 million additional doses to the country.
"The delivery of this second vaccine provision from Japan is expected to be dispatched to Manila in some batches within this month," Embassy of Japan in the Philippines said in a statement.
The initiative came shortly after Japan fulfilled its first provision of 1.12 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to the country last July.
Also outside of the COVAX facility, this latest provision makes Japan’s total bilateral contribution to the country’s vaccine stockpile reach more than three million doses, as of date.
First announced on June 15, 2021, Japan’s intention to supply the much-needed vaccines was swiftly formalized with the signing and exchange of notes between then Chargé d'affaires ad interim Nakata Masahiro of the Embassy of Japan and Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Garcia Imperial of the Department of Foreign Affairs last June 29.
Japan's contributions to the Philippines’ COVID-19 response measures include the Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan (CRESL); Post-Disaster Standby Loan Phase 2 (PDSL 2), joint clinical research for the anti-flu drug Avigan; and grants for the procurement of medical equipment, establishment of laboratory surveillance sites, and development of cold chain system in support of the vaccination program.