525.6K doses of AstraZeneca vax to arrive in PH March 1

MANILA – Around 525,600 doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine from United Kingdom’s AstraZeneca will be delivered to the Philippines on Monday (March 1), Malacañang announced on Saturday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Philippines will receive the AstraZeneca vaccines through the Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, a global initiative that guarantees access to Covid-19 vaccines worldwide.

“We are pleased to inform you that the Philippines will receive 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines on Monday, March 1, 2021, around noontime, as part of the first round of allocated doses from the COVAX facility,” Roque said in a press statement.

The AstraZeneca vaccines that will arrive in the Philippines form part of the 44 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine from COVAX to inoculate 20 percent of the country’s population, Roque said.

Roque thanked the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines developed by AstraZeneca.

The COVAX Facility is co-led by WHO, GAVI, and CEPI.

“We are grateful to everyone — from our medical front-liners to our fellow Filipinos and foreign partners — who stand by us in this challenging time. Together, we will heal and recover as one nation and one people,” Roque said.

In a text message, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go President Rodrigo Duterte will also lead the turnover ceremony for the AstraZeneca vaccines.

The Philippines is set to receive some 44 million Covid-19 vaccine doses allocated by the COVAX Facility within the year.

The country is also expected to have access to up to 9.2 million AstraZeneca vaccines.

The Covid-19 vaccines developed AstraZeneca vaccines will be delivered just a day after the country is also scheduled to receive the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech.

Duterte would lead on Sunday the simple turnover of 600,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine.