MANILA, Philippines — The United States has delivered a total of 3,240,850 one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines to the Philippines as part of its worldwide effort to help end COVID-19.
The shipment was provided directly to the Philippines by the US government, with delivery via the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility, a global initiative to support equitable access to COVID vaccines.
This is the first time the Philippines has received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – a safe, trusted and easy-to-store shot widely used in the US.
US embassy Chargé d’Affaires John Law and acting USAID mission director Sean Callahan joined Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez, National Economic and Development Authority director general Karl Chua and other stakeholders at Ninoy Aquino International Airport to welcome the arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines on July 16 and 17.
“This US donation of vaccines from our domestic supply to the Philippines, our oldest treaty ally in Asia, demonstrates our close and abiding relationship, and how important this partnership is to us. This one-shot, easy to store vaccine will protect millions of lives across the country,” Law said.
Prior to the delivery of Johnson & Johnson, the Philippines has received more than seven million vaccine doses through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, a global initiative run by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The US is the largest monetary contributor to Gavi, having already donated over $2 billion (P100 billion) to the Alliance.
To date, total US government COVID-19 assistance to the Philippines amounts to over P1.38 billion ($27.5 million).