U.S. to send up to a million more Covid vaccines to PH

Covid-19 vaccines being readied for transport. REUTERS FILE

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Philippines could receive up to an additional million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from the United States, as diplomatic officials assured the country will be among “priority recipient countries” of the U.S. vaccine stockpile.

Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez said the country could get some 800,000 to a million doses starting next month. He said they will either be Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines that are in the U.S, stockpiles.

“The Biden-Harris administration has announced that the Philippines will be among priority recipient countries to receive a portion of the latest 55 million tranche of U.S. government-donated Covid-19 vaccine doses,” the U.S. Embassy in Manila said today.

“The Philippines will receive vaccines both through the COVAX-allocated portion of this tranche as well as through direct donation,” it added.

“This is in addition to the Philippines’ allocation under the previous June 3 announcement of the first 25 million U.S. vaccine doses to be shared globally, as pledged earlier by President [Joe] Biden to help end the pandemic,” the U.S. Embassy disclosed.

In the remaining 55 million, 14 million will be shared directly to “regional priorities and other recipients,” including the Philippines.

Other recipients include Colombia, Argentina, Haiti, other CARICOM countries, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Tunisia, Oman, West Bank and Gaza, Ukraine, Kosovo, Georgia, Moldova, and Bosnia.

The U.S. also announced that the other 41 million doses will be donated through the COVAX facility.

It was early this month when the U.S. reported the distribution of the first 25 million doses, seven million of which will also benefit the Philippines and other Asian countries also through the COVAX facility.

“We’re getting quite a substantial amount of doses of vaccines coming from the U.S.,” Mr. Romualdez said.

“We’re in good shape as far as our vaccines are concerned,” he added.

The country has so far received nine million Sinovac, 2.6 million AstraZeneca, 2.5 million Pfizer and 180,000 Sputnik V vaccine doses, either through donations, the COVAX facility or the procurement of the national government. Some 8.4 million Filipinos have received one or completed the two doses of the Covid 19 vaccines.