MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is expecting some 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute in the coming months, the official in charge of the government’s vaccine procurement program said Tuesday.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said negotiations to procure Sputnik V vaccine doses are still ongoing and the supply agreement will be signed this week.
“We’re expecting they will supply 20 million doses within the next four months,” Galvez said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
An initial batch of 500,000 doses will arrive in the country this month.
The country’s Food and Drug Administration approved Sputnik V for emergency use last month, clearing it for use on individuals aged 18 and above.
“It can be used on the elderly, so from 18 and above. So we can use this and the good thing is at least in the absence of AstraZeneca, we can use this,” Galvez said in Filipino.
In the government’s inoculation drive, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by British-Swedish AstraZeneca had been used on senior citizens. But health authorities said all 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca’s jab were already utilized.
Last week, the Department of Health and the FDA allowed the use of the vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech on the elderly “considering the limited availability of vaccines and the growing need to protect seniors amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country.”
20 to 40 million Pfizer doses
Galvez also said the government is negotiating to secure 20 to 40 million doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech.
He claimed the United States “will spare some of their excess doses to their allied countries” once it finishes its inoculation.
The vaccine czar also said that some 194,000 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 jab may arrive in May.
The government and the private sector signed a supply agreement with Moderna covering 20 million doses. Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine has not yet been issued emergency use authorization by the local FDA.
Over a million COVID-19 shots have been administered since the immunization campaign began last month. But the Philippines faces a lack of available vaccines as infections rise.
The country aims to inoculate up to 70 million people this year.