COVID-19 VACCINE

300,000 Moderna doses set to arrive June 21 —Philippine envoy to US

At least 300,000 doses of Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 are expected to arrive in the Philippines by June 21, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said Monday.

"June 21 is the target date of delivery for the first batch of Moderna vaccines. It will be 300,000 doses as a start," Romualdez said in a CNN Philippines interview.

"We will be get more by July, August and September."

The Philippines procured at least 20 million doses of vaccine from
Moderna, an American brand. Of this number, 13 million were paid for by the national government while the seven million were paid for by the private sector.

Based on the evaluation of the Philippine Food and Drug Administration, Moderna has an efficacy rate of 94% after human trials and can be administered on those aged 18 and above.

Romualdez said that the US is expected to steadily give vaccine donations to the global aid initiative COVAX Facility once it meets its target herd immunity by July 4.

The Philippines is one of the low- and middle-income countries being serviced by COVAX, which aims to ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines.

"I have been told that we will be the beneficiary of that [US donation]," he said.

"As soon as it is available, it will be delivered to us," he added.

The Philippines also procured from other American brands namely Pfizer-BioNTech (40 million doses) and Johnson and Johnson (five million), the only vaccine brand against COVID-19 which is given on one shot.

The delivery dates of these, however, are yet to be determined.

Likewise, Romualdez said that the Philippines government is working on securing booster shots from American firms Pfizer and Moderna by the end of the year.

"We are working on getting a booster shot from Moderna and Pfizer by the end of the year which goes well with any other prior vaccine," he said.

"This could happen by end of the year or early next year." —KBK, GMA News