Philippines receives 1.15M more doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Over 1.15 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine purchased by the private sector arrived in the country on Friday.

Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said it was the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine ordered by the private sector, with the second batch expected in August.

"This first batch that arrived now is 1.15 million doses and we are expecting another batch come mid-August to the tune of about 1.17 [million doses]," he said during an interview at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Concepcion said the vaccines were purchased by close to 500 private companies, among them conglomerates.

"All of these vaccines are paid by the private sector," Concepcion said, adding some of it may be donated to local government units depending on the decision of the companies involved.

He said the vaccines will be rolled out in the next four days. 

According to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, a total of 1,150,800 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived at NAIA Terminal 1 at around 10 a.m. via CI701 flight.

The new arrival of vaccines will bring the total number of delivered AstraZeneca doses to the Philippines to 6,858,900.

Of the number, 4,585,000 doses were from COVAX Facility, 1,124,100 jabs were donated by the Japanese government, and the remaining were procured by the private sector.

Aside from Concepcion, also present during the arrival of new supply of vaccines were vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

AstraZeneca's vaccine, administered in two doses, has an efficacy rate of 70% after the first dose based on the evaluation of the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

AstraZeneca is developed by the British government and Oxford University.  --with Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News