575,800 AstraZeneca doses bought by private firms arrive in Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — A total of 575,800 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine procured by private firms arrived Friday in the Philippines.
The shots landed at 9:35 a.m. at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport onboard China Airlines flight CI 701 and were welcomed by vaccine czar Carlito Galvez and presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion.
The jabs are part of the 2.6 million doses private firms bought through an agreement with AstraZeneca and the Philippine government inked last November 2020.
Concepcion said more doses procured by private firms are expected to arrive by the end of next week.
While the shots would mostly be used for the inoculation of workers of private firms, Galvez said that he and Concepcion have agreed to share vaccine supplies.
“Just in case they need doses, the government procurement, we can give some to them,” Galvez said, noting that the government may also source doses from the private sector.
Bulk of the shots will be deployed in Metro Manila, where most of the private firms who bought the jabs are located, but some will also be allocated to Calabarzon, Concepcion said.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, taken in two doses spaced eight to 12 weeks apart, is 63.09% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection.
The country is also set to receive Friday afternoon 15,000 doses of the second dose of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.
A new thread on the Philippines' vaccination program in 2021 in the government's revised objective to reach "population protection." Bookmark our COVID-19 and Vaccination Dashboard for the latest figures on the pandemic in the Philippines. — Main image: The STAR/Michael Varcas, file
The city government of Valenzuela City announces that it is temporarily suspending the use of Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccines as they wait for more vaccine supplies.
ADVISORY: Pansamantalang inihinto ang pagbabakuna ng Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine sa Valenzuela habang naghihintay ng karagdagang supply. (????: Valenzuela LGU) pic.twitter.com/j4yO52jgMN
— PTVph (@PTVph) August 7, 2023
Pasig City government announces the schedule of COVID-19 vaccination in the city from July 15 until July 28.
It advises residents that first, second dose and first and 2nd booster shots are available on a first come, first serve basis in its designated vaccination sites.
Among the available vaccine brands is Sinovac for 6 years old and above. It adds that there are no Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines yet for residents age 12 and above.
Schedule ng Pagbabakuna sa Pasig City |07/25/2023-07/28/2023 | First Come, First Served Basis
— Pasig Info (@PasigInfo) July 24, 2023
Tingnan ang material para sa vaccination sites kung saan makakapagpa - 1st at 2nd dose, at 1st at 2nd booster shot; at kung ano ang mga dapat dalhin sa araw ng pagbabakuna
1/3 pic.twitter.com/yqKG0S41CM
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to lead the rollout of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City. — The STAR/Helen Flores
President Marcos will lead the launch of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City on Wednesday morning. (Photo courtesy of MPC pool) | @helenmflores pic.twitter.com/wbB2An7xgg
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) June 21, 2023
The Department of Health reminds public that they can still avail of the COVID-19 booster and bivalent booster. It reposted an infographic that determines when it is best to get the first two boosters and the bivalent booster.
Senior citizens and frontline health workers may now get their second booster shots, particularly mRNA jabs such as Moderna and Pfizer, the Department of Health announces. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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