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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Palace: 250,000 doses of vaccines are Valentine's gift to medical frontliners

Palace: 250,000 doses of vaccines are Valentine's gift to medical frontliners

Published Feb 1, 2021 02:40 pm

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

This was Malacañang's greeting as it reported that at least 250,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from three different pharmaceutical companies are expected to arrive this month--its Valentine's gift to the medical frontliners.

(Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP)

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement as he reported that the Philippines will receive 9,407,400 doses from Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca during the first and second quarters of the year through the COVAX Facility of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Around 5.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility are expected to arrive in the country within the first quarter of 2021 and the delivery will start in February. Meanwhile, another 50,000 doses from the Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac are also confirmed for this month.

In his Monday presser, Roque said while the specific date of the vaccines' arrival is yet to be determined, it is confirmed that the first batch of delivery will arrive in the country this month--serving as Valentine's gift to the medical frontliners.

"Asahan po natin ang first delivery natin at least 200,000 ... It will take three to five days pagdating ng bakuna para mabakuna sa mga medical frontliners (We can expect at least 200,000 doses for the first delivery. It will take three to five days before we can inoculate the medical frontliners)," he said.

"'Yan ang Valentine's gift natin sa ating mga sarili (That is our Valentine's gift to ourselves)," he added.

According to Roque, 117,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility will come from Pfizer-BioNTech. It is expected to be delivered in mid-February and will cover the first quarter supply commitment.

The country will also receive 5,500,800 to 9,290,400 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines. The initial delivery is scheduled to take place within this month.

The said number of COVID-19 vaccine doses is part of the government's target of 148 million vaccine doses to be administered to 70 million Filipinos this year.

The COVAX Facility, which the Philippines joined, is a mechanism designed to guarantee rapid, fair, and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. 

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