COVID-19 vaccines on their way to MetroPac in Marikina

China’s donation of 600,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from Sinovac is being transported to the MetroPac Movers, Inc. in Barangay Concepcion Uno in Marikina City where it will be stored prior to deployment to hospitals.

The COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on a Chinese Y-20 Transporter aircraft a little past 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. said the arrival of the vaccines marked the start of the country’s inoculation program.

The country’s first shots will be administered in several COVID-19 referral hospitals across the National Capital Region on Monday.

Galvez and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III are also scheduled to be vaccinated on Monday morning to boost public trust in the vaccination program.

So far, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Sinovac. — BM, GMA News