PH receives 1.8M more doses of US-donated Pfizer vax

MANILA – The Philippines received 1,813,500 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine early Sunday, bringing the country’s total supplies to 77,410,640 doses.

National Airlines Flight N8 523 landed at around 3:30 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, carrying the US-donated vaccines from the COVAX Facility.

Director Ariel Valencia of the Department of Health’s Supply Chain Management Service and Bureau of Customs examiner Mark Almase welcomed the shipment.

The delivery came a day after National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava witnessed the arrival of 889,200 doses of the same brand.

Galvez said in a statement that more government-procured Pfizer jabs are slated for delivery this month, along with Moderna and Sinovac.

The COVAX Facility likewise committed to send over 10 million doses of Pfizer jabs this third quarter, including 5.5 million doses in the coming days.

The latest Pfizer shipments will be deployed to Regions 4-A (Calabarzon) and 3 (Central Luzon) while succeeding deliveries will go to Central Visayas and Davao Region.

The Philippines has already received 6,356,610 doses of the US-donated Pfizer, 3,000,060 Moderna, and 3,240,850 Johnson & Johnson doses.

Moderna and Pfizer jabs will be used in the two-week test run of inoculation of minors aged 12 to 17 beginning October 15.