AstraZeneca: 1M COVID-19 vaccine doses coming to Philippines in July

Another one million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered to the Philippines in July, the British-Swedish drugmaker has announced.

AstraZeneca Philippines President Lotis Ramin renewed the company’s commitment to working with global vaccine-sharing initiative COVAX and other supply networks to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

“The latest delivery estimates for the Philippines demonstrate our continuing partnership with COVAX, the national government, Department of Health, local government units, and the private sector, working together to help heal the nation,” she said in a statement.

“We look forward to continuing this collaborative effort to make an even greater impact in the country’s total efforts against the pandemic,” she added.

The Philippines has so far received over 2.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Food and Drug Administration paused the use of the jab earlier this year over blood clot concerns but health authorities have since assured the public that no such incidents have been recorded locally.

AstraZeneca also said its vaccine “demonstrated a high level of protection against the Delta and Alpha variants, including being 92% effective against hospitalization due to the Delta variant.”

Over 7.5 million individuals in the Philippines have been vaccinated as of June 27, some 2.5 million of whom have received both doses.

The government aims to inoculate 50 million to 70 million people this year. -MDM, GMA News