MANILA - The Philippines on Wednesday night received 15,000 more doses of the Russian-made COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, which authorities said is "component 2" or "follow-up dose" for the initial batch delivered last May 1.

The aircraft carrying the shipment arrived at NAIA past 9 p.m.

The vaccine candidate developed by Gamaleya Institute is the second government-procured product that has been delivered to the country after Sinovac’s CoronaVac.

It was cleared for emergency use in the Philippines in March.

• Philippines grants emergency authorization for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

The initial batch of 15,000 doses was used in a “pilot run” in preparation for the arrival of additional doses, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 had said.

Five Metro Manila localities received the product as they have cold storage capacity.

According to the FDA, the Sputnik V vaccine needs to be stored at a temperature of negative 18 degrees Celsius and must be kept as a frozen solution.

• Maynila, Makati handa nang magbakuna gamit ang Sputnik V vaccines

Some cities started rolling out the said vaccine last week. The jabs are to be administered to healthy individuals aged 18 years and older.

• READ: Only pre-registered Parañaque residents will get Sputnik V vaccine: mayor

Its second dose needs to be administered 3 weeks after the first, data from the Department of Health showed.

The arrival of the additional doses raises the Philippines' total vaccine stock to nearly 7.779 million, which include also the products of Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Nearly 2.54 million doses have been administered, as of May 11.

Galvez had said that the country has secured a total of 10 million doses of Sputnik V, but the contract is expandable to around 20 million.

The first 10 million doses will be delivered to the country in tranches within a 4-month period.

On Monday night, Galvez told President Rodrigo Duterte that negotiations are ongoing for the delivery of up to 2 million doses this month.

More details to follow.

- with reports from Wheng Hidalgo, ABS-CBN News

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