AstraZeneca shots from UK allocated to police, military, Galvez says

The 415,000 doses of British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca vaccines, which was donated by the United Kingdom government, will be allocated to police and military personnel, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday.

In a congressional hearing, Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Estrellita Suansing asked Galvez if police officers manning checkpoints during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will be vaccinated versus COVID-19. She cited that only 50% of policemen were inoculated.

Galvez then responded that of the 415,000 AstraZeneca doses, 200,000 shots will each be deployed to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police (PNP). He added the vaccines will be distributed by regions.

"We can provide. For the information of everybody, the UK AstraZeneca we have received last two days ago, that's 415,000 (doses), it is dedicated for the Armed Forces and PNP," he said.

The 415,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses given by the UK arrived in Manila on Monday. Experts had said that two doses of AstraZeneca anti-COVID-19 drugs are effective against the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant.

As of Aug. 4, Philippine government fully vaccinated 9,825,466 Filipinos, which is 8.85% of the total Philippine population.—LDF, GMA News