PH to request 900K more Pfizer vaccine doses from COVAX

MANILA – The Philippines will be sending a letter to the management of the COVAX Facility to request additional doses of Pfizer coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, National Policy Against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday.

Galvez, also the vaccine czar, said the country will be requesting more than 900,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines apart from the 117,000 doses set to arrive this month.

“Gumagawa kami ng sulat dahil nakasaad po sa COVAX arrangement natin na (We are writing a letter because it is stated under the COVAX arrangement that) if we can have a submission for additional more than 900,000 to make it 1 million ‘yung ating vaccine sa Pfizer, gagawin po namin (we will do that),” Galvez said in a virtual interview during a Laging Handa public briefing.

Galvez noted that out of the 72 countries that applied for the acquisition of vaccines under the COVAX Facility, the Philippines is among 18 countries that have been given approval.

Through the COVAX Facility, Galvez said the Philippines stands to receive fully subsidized doses for 20 percent of the country’s population.

“This is a global initiative aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide with equitable access to safe and effective vaccines,” Galvez said.

However, Galvez earlier emphasized that the volume and arrival of the vaccines from COVAX Facility “are all indicative” as these will depend on the global supplies.

Some 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines and 5.5 million to 9.2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines will be delivered to the country within the first and second quarters this year, he said.

Galvez said the first batch of the vaccines that will be deployed are from Pfizer pharmaceutical firm which will be requiring ultra-low temperature cold storage.

It will be dedicated to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila City, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital (DJNRMH), formerly known as Tala Leprosarium in Caloocan City, as well as Lung Center of the Philippines and East Avenue Medical Center, both located in Quezon City.

Galvez said it will be given next in all available Covid-19 referral facilities and hospitals located in Metro Manila as well as in the cities of Cebu and Davao.