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117,000 DOSES

Galvez: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX expected by Q2


A total of 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility could arrive in the Philippines by the second quarter of the year, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said on Monday.

“Ang nakikita po natin, mga second quarter [darating sa atin]. Ito iyong galing sa COVAX na Pfizer na makukuha natin,” Galvez said during the start of the COVID-19 vaccination program in the country at the Philippine General Hospital, where PGH officials and health workers were inoculated with the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition, Galvez said the country’s supply of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines that the government will pay for will arrive at a later date but still within the year. 

“Iyong procurement [natin ng Pfizer], mga third and fourth quarter [pa darating] dahil wala na silang supply,” he added. 

Galvez earlier said during a February 11 Senate hearing that the country’s lack of indemnification law—a measure which puts the responsibility of providing compensation to those who will experience adverse effects from taking COVID-19 vaccine to the national government—has delayed the arrival of the 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. The said vaccines were supposed to arrive by February 15.   

The vaccine czar said Pfizer belatedly showed an annex to its proposed indemnification agreement in mid-February. 

“Iyong nakita po natin noong unang negotiation namin ng Pfizer, hindi po nila inilabas iyong tinatawag nila na extensive indemnification agreement. That’s why ito lang na lumabas noong nagkaroon tayo ng ano….na COVAX na darating na sila this coming February 15. Doon po lang nila inilabas iyong tinatawag na annex sheet,” Galvez said. 

“So kami…talaga pati kami nabigla, dahil kasi ang nanghihingi lang ng indemnification law or iyong tinatawag na statutory law for vaccine is only iyong Johnson and Johnson. Ang Pfizer hindi niya po iyan ni-raise that’s why nabigla po kami noong sinabi nila na we need to have an annex. And iyon nga po, mayroon silang pinapatanggal na provisions that we cannot do, considering that is only our protection kung just in case nagkaroon ng gross negligence,” he added. 

Based on the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluation, Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s efficacy rate is at 95% among its study population and 92% across all races. 

Pfizer-BioNTech is the first COVID-19 vaccine brand which secured an emergency use authorization from the Philippine FDA last January 14. —KG, GMA News

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