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193K Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses arrive in Philippines


A batch of 193,050 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in the Philippines on Monday night.

The Pfizer jab arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 before 9 p.m.

 

 

The largest real-world study of the Pfizer vaccine confirmed that the shot provided more than 95% protection against COVID-19.

However, it also found that the level dropped significantly when people received just one of the two prescribed doses.

A total of 132,210 shots, or 68 percent of this initial shipment, will be allocated to Metro Manila.

Cebu City and Davao City will each receive 15 percent of the shipment or 29,250 doses each.

The preferred storage for the vaccine is in ultra-low temperature freezers between -80ºC to -60ºC, but it can be stored "for five days at refrigerated 2-8°C conditions," Pfizer said.

It is due to this requirement that vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. previously said its distribution would be limited to Metro Manila, Cebu City, and Davao City.

However, Quirino Province will now receive 1,710 doses, while the remaining 1,710 doses will serve as buffer stock.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Philippines is also set to receive 1.1 million doses of the Pfizer jab from the COVAX Facility, 500,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine, and two million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine within the year.

On Saturday, the Philippines received over 2 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX facility. — BM, GMA News

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