MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) assured local government units (LGUs) that the AstraZeneca vaccines they ordered would arrive “any time,” according to Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.
When the city government’s order of AstraZeneca vaccines arrive, Olivarez said it would be used to vaccinate more residents to achieve herd immunity or as booster shots, “depending on the guidance of the DOH.”
Through an agreement with the pharmaceutical company and the national government, the Parañaque City government ordered 200,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in January last year, with the LGU paying 30 percent downpayment for the order.
Most LGUs in Metro Manila ordered AstraZeneca vaccines through tripartite agreements forged between the company and the national government. So far, none of them reported they have received their orders.
Data from the Parañaque local government revealed 465,000 residents got their first dose, while an estimated 220,000 residents have been fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, about three million doses of China-made Sinovac vaccines purchased by the government – the biggest shipment so far – are expected to arrive tonight at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 from Beijing aboard Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight PR359.
Some the 15,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines are also expected tonight at NAIA terminal 3, aboard Qatar Airways from Russia via Qatar. Both vaccines will be delivered to the PharmaServ Express cold storage in Marikina City.
For its part, PAL announced it would mount more “bayanihan flights” (repatriation flights) from the UAE, Malaysia and Thailand in September, exclusive for passport holders only. Dubai-Manila bayanihan flights are slated on Sept. 2, 4, 6, 8 and 14, while Kuala Lumpur-Manila and Bangkok-Manila flights are scheduled on Sept. 4 and Sept. 9, respectively.
Passengers are required to present a valid negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure and must undergo a second RT-PCR test after seven days of quarantine in the Philippines.
On top of these flights, PAL said it will airlift five million more COVID-19 vaccine doses to the country within the first half of September, adding to the 10.4 million vaccine doses picked up and flown by PAL since March.
Protein vaccine trials
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) director general Eric Domingo yesterday confirmed that a recombinant COVID-19 fusion protein vaccine (V-01), developed and manufactured in China, has been allowed to conduct Phase III clinical trials in the country.
Domingo said the FDA and the Vaccine Expert Panel of the Department of Science and Technology granted the application of Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc. (LivzonBio) in early August. – Sheila Crisostomo, Rudy Santos, Richmond Mercurio