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Private sector to buy 3 million AstraZeneca vaccines —Concepcion


The private sector is seeking to buy 2.5 million to 3 million of British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said Thursday,

“’Yung vaccine palagay ko kung mapirma na namin bukas at palagay ko tuloy na ‘yan, ‘yung pribadong sektor ay mag dadala ng mga siguro mga 2.5 to 3 million vaccines,” Concepcion said in an interview on Dobol B sa news TV.

However, he said that their initial target is one million due to limited supply.

“Not yet kasi ‘yung supply sa bakuna medyo hinid ‘yan, tight pa rin ‘yan. Katulad namin we’re signing with this pharma company tomorrow and and tinatarget namin muna ‘yung 1 milyon muna,” he said.

Concepcion said the pharmaceutical company may price their COVID-19 vaccines at around P500 for the two doses a person requires.

“For the pharma company, 2021 wala silang profit. So ‘yung presyo ng vaccine na ito halos P500 lang, no, for two doses na ‘yan,” he said.

National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. previously said that AstraZeneca offered the cheapest potential vaccine against COVID-19.

According to Concepcion, medical frontliners, as well as other frontliners, will be prioritized.

“And then part of that we will donate to government frontliners and 50 percent of that will go to our employees na mga frontliners rin. So ‘yun ang balak namin,” he said.

“‘Yung mga frontliners ‘yun ang importante dito sa mga pribadong sektor. Talagang ‘yung frontliners ‘yung ia-ammend dito sa retailers. Lahat ‘yan. Kasi importante rin mabuksan natin ‘yung economy natin,” he later added.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte previously said the government will prioritize the vaccination of the poor while Filipinos from classes A, B, and C may buy the vaccines for themselves.

Concepcion advised the public to practice social distancing protocols while waiting for the vaccine.

“We still have to practice ‘yung new normal, ang mga social distancing, wearing of face mask for at least some time,” he said.

“Kasi hindi naman lahat overnight. May iba diyan na palagay ko ayaw pa rin mag bakuna kasi gusto muna makita kung effective, safe, he added. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News

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