Over 2 million Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine doses arrive in the Philippines

More than two million government-procured Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in the country on Monday evening.

The 2,805,000 doses arrived at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City past 7 p.m.

President Rodrigo Duterte personally welcomed the arrival of the vaccine doses.

Duterte thanked the Russian government for supplying the Philippines with vaccines.

"Let us work together to put an end to this disease and its harmful effects to our people and the economy for nearly two years now," the President said.

Duterte also appealed to all Filipinos to cooperate to help overcome the pandemic.

"The government cannot do this alone, and we need your active participation by getting vaccinated and strictly following minimum health standards," he said.

The latest delivery brought the Sputnik V vaccine doses received by the Philippines to 7.19 million out of the 10 million doses ordered.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said this is one of the biggest shipments of Sputnik V to the country to date.

He said the additional vaccine supply would benefit more than 3.5 million Filipinos.

Galvez also reiterated that vaccine supply was no longer a problem in the country.

"The greatest challenge is how to get the jabs into the arms of as many Filipinos as possible," he said. — DVM, GMA News