240,700 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines sent out for health workers —Nograles

The government has deployed 240,700 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines across the country for the inoculation of health workers and medical frontliners aged 60 and above, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Monday. 

Nograles made the announcement a day after the second batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines—38,400 doses of them—arrived in the country on Sunday night. The first batch of 487,200 doses arrived on March 4

“We have deployed these 240,700 AstraZeneca doses all over the country for health workers and medical frontline. Malaking tulong ito sa ating rollout,” Nograles said in an ANC interview. 

World Health Organization (WHO) country representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe  earlier said that the Philippines can expect to get additional 4.5 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility—a global initiative funded by wealthy nations and firms—starting in May

“Inaasahan natin na sunod sunod na itong delivery from COVAX facility as they promised,” Nograles added.

Based on the evaluation of the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA), AstraZeneca’s efficacy rate is at 70% after the first dose and such rate increases after the second dose is given four to 12 weeks after.

The government started its COVID-19 vaccination program last March 1. 

At least 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to the country so far. The other 600,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine already delivered to the country were from Sinovac and were donated by the Chinese government.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Friday said the Philippines will prioritize health workers in its vaccination efforts against COVID-19 until two million of them have received shots to protect them from the coronavirus. —KG, GMA News