Pfizer, AstraZeneca jabs seen to arrive by February from COVAX facility

MANILA, Philippines — The country's vaccine czar on Sunday said doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca's coronavirus jabs are expected to arrive in the country by the first quarter of the year through the global initiative of the COVAX facility.

Sec. Carlito Gavlez Jr. in a statement reported that COVAX's managing director Aurelia Nguyen had told government that the Philippines would receive 9.4 million doses from the two drugmakers in the first and second quarters of this year.

By February, Galvez said COVAX would provide 5.5 million doses of AstraZeneca, while 117,000 from Pfizer. But, he said too that the number of doses as well as the projected arrival "are all indicative since it all depends on the global supply," suggesting that the figures may still change.

Only recently, the health department also announced that government will be shouldering 5% payment of the vaccines from COVAX, while the remaining 15% would be free, from the original pronouncement that the entire 20% for 22 million Filipinos would be made available without any payment.

It remains unclear as to how much the country would be paying for the 5%, with Galvez's statement also making no mention of it. But for 2021, government has an approved P72.5 billion funding for the vaccines purchase, which includes loans from sources such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

The development comes with the Food and Drug Administration approving the emergency use application of both Pfizer and AstraZeneca, in the administration's bid to inoculate 50 to 70 million Filipinos in 2021 alone, a vaccination plan that has met concerns and criticism.

Galvez said they would continue to hold visits in cities and provinces across the country to check local governments' preparations for when the jabs arrive.

Last week, officials had visited cities in Metro Manila, with Pasig being the first LGU to have its COVID-19 plan approved by health authorities.

"Based on our visits, we have seen that many LGUs and the private sector are now ready for the vaccine roll-out – from their vaccination sites, to their cold storage equipment and facilities, to their personnel," Galvez said. "We hope that these kinds of preparations will be replicated nationwide." 

The Philippines on January 30 marked one year since it reported its first coronavirus case, with the number soaring to now at 525,618, the second highest in Southeast Asia, along with 10,749 deaths and 487,551 since recovered.