Private firms to buy 2nd batch of vaccines from AstraZeneca: presidential adviser

MANILA - Private firms from the Philippines are set to buy a second batch of vaccines from British pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca, to add to the 2.6 million doses it had contracted previously, a presidential adviser said on Monday.

Joey Concepcion, Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship, said the second purchase “is now approved and can now be processed.”

“We are happy to announce that with enough support, and of course, demand coming from the private sector, the second part is now already in the works,” Concepcion said in a statement.

The presidential adviser however did not say how many doses there will be in the second batch of vaccines.

The presidential adviser said the initial procurement was meant to be more than 2.6 million doses but had to follow a supply timeline as other countries and institutions securing their vaccines too.

• Philippines, private firms sign vaccine supply deal with AstraZeneca

Concepcion said the first batch of vaccines will arrive in the Philippines in May or June 2021, and would inoculate over 1 million Filipinos as the vaccine requires 2 doses.

The government expects to roll out vaccines against COVID-19 in the middle of 2021, according to vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., noting the “scarcity of supply” in the global market.

Government vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez meanwhile said he expects Chinese vaccine Sinovac to arrive in the country by March next year and for vaccines from AstraZeneca vaccines to be delivered around May.

Mass vaccination would happen around June or July Galvez said.

Senator Franklin Drilon earlier criticized the government for allocating more money for its anti-insurgency drive than its vaccination program.

The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo meanwhile said the P2.5 billion guaranteed budget for vaccination showed “a lack of sense of urgency.”