Galvez: Supply agreements with Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson to be signed this week

Vaccine czar and National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. on Sunday said supply agreements with Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson for 46 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines are set to be signed this week.

The agreements are for the procurement of 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and six million doses of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine. 

“We are pleased to inform the members of the Senate and the Filipino people that the supply agreements with both vaccine manufacturers are due to be signed anytime this week by me and Secretary Duque,” Galvez said in a statement. 

The government's vaccine negotiating team and representatives of the two vaccine manufacturers are in the final stages of sealing the deal, he said.

Later in the day, Galvez announced he and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III have already signed the supply deal with Pfizer for 40 million doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.

“With the steady arrival of donated and procured vaccines in the country, we are confident that our target of having more than 184 million doses of anti-COVID 19 shots in our inventory before the year ends will be realized,” Galvez said. 

He also disclosed that 250,000 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be delivered to the Philippines on June 27. This shipment includes those purchased by the private sector.

Meanwhile, 1.5 million doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines will arrive on June 24.

Galvez also said 2,028,000 AstraZeneca doses from the COVAX facility are expected to be shipped to the country within the month of June.

He added that 150,000 doses of Sputnik V (component 2) vaccines will also be delivered this June.

The country is also expecting the arrival of the US donation of COVID-19 vaccines before the month ends.

In July, the country is expecting the arrival of 11,670,000 vaccine doses, the NTF chief implementer added.

This is broken down into:

• 4.5 million Sinovac vaccine doses
• 1 million Moderna vaccine doses
• 1 million Sputnik V vaccine doses
• 1.17 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses purchased by the private sector
• 4 million doses of either Astrazeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines from the COVAX facility

Galvez on Sunday said more than eight million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country.

A total of 8,050,711 jabs were administered nationwide as of June 18, according to data from the National Vaccination Operations Center. —KG, GMA News