2M AstraZeneca Vaccines Arrive in PH

The Philippines received 2,028,000 more jabs of AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX Facility on Friday.

The arrival of the vaccines increases the World Health Organization (WHO) vaccination initiative donations for the Philippines to over seven million doses.

1.2 million Japanese-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccines also arrived in the Philippines on Thursday, which Tokyo donated to Manila.

National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. welcomed the shipment that arrived in the country past 4 P.M from Dubai.

Galvez was accompanied by representatives from the UNICEF, USAID, and WHO.

The Philippine government received over two million more doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through COVAX Facility on Friday, raising the World Health Organization (WHO)-led initiative’s donations to Manila to over seven million vials.

The latest shipment came a day after Tokyo donated 1.12 million doses of Japan-manufactured AstraZeneca shots, both a big boost to the country’s supply and its target to inoculate 70 percent of its population by end of 2021.

WHO Representative to the Philippines Rabindra Abeyasinghe said that the vaccines will be used to vaccinate people belonging to the A1 to A3 priority groups that include frontliners, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities.

Abeyasinghe added that 3.2 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine will arrive in the Philippines starting next week. (GFB)