Galvez: Delivery of vaccines from COVAX Facility delayed by a week

The delivery of vaccines from the World Health Organization (WHO)-led COVAX Facility will be delayed by a week due to the absence of an indemnification law in the country, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Friday.

“I think the delay is only for one week. When we announced it, sinasabi nga po natin na dependent ‘yung COVAX sa documentation,” Galvez told ANC.

The vaccine czar said the government is trying to fast-track insertion of an indemnification clause in the contract, which will ensure compensation for Filipinos who will experience serious side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

“We are finishing our documentation on time. Pero ‘yung tinatawag nating indemnification clause, matagal na naming hinahanap po ‘yun kaya lang po binigay lang ito only this week. Now, our lawyers are trying to finish it today so that we don’t have any more obstruction on the delivery of the vaccine,” he said.

“We will meet this 5 p.m. so that we can immediately sign the indemnity agreement,” he added.

Galvez earlier told the Senate that the country could have received 117,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by now if the Philippines had an indemnification law. 

He has been calling on Congress to pass such a law, which he said is required by the COVAX Facility.

Two bills seeking to establish an indemnification fund for vaccine-related injuries have been filed at the Senate. 

The Philippines will receive 5.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility in the first quarter of this year. 

The country has tallied 543,282 infections with 500,335 recoveries and 11,469 deaths as of Thursday afternoon. 

Meanwhile, in the same interview, Galvez reiterated that the country has not yet signed a supply agreement with any vaccine manufacturer since it requires a definitive delivery date.

“[Kung] wala pa pong definitive na date ng delivery, how can we have ‘yung payment and terms? Hindi po delay ‘yun kasi the ball is not in our hands. Nasa kanila po kasi,” he said.

Senators earlier expressed alarm after Galvez disclosed that the country is yet to sign a supply agreement with any vaccine supplier. 

Galvez said what has been signed so far are term sheets that lock in the supply of over 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. 

“Ang supply agreement po, we can only sign it kapag meron talagang definitive na delivery. I believe yung pinaka malapit na tayong maka-sign [ay] ‘yung Sinovac considering that they have already a definitive delivery starting February up to December,” he said. —KBK, GMA News