Galvez: COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, AstraZeneca here before June

COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac and AstraZeneca are expected to be available to the Philippine populace before June this year, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said on Wednesday.

Galvez’s announcement contradicted the claim of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque that only Chinese vaccine Sinovac will be available to the Philippine populace until June. 

“Sa Pfizer po, nagkakaroon po tayo ng negotiation sa WHO (World Health Organization) and Gavi na early deployment of Pfizer this February. Bibigyan po tayo ng go signal for early rollout. “Iyong [vaccines under] COVAX po, most likely, first and second quarter,” Galvez said during the Laging Handa briefing. 

“Kausap ko [rin] po ang ambassador ng India, kasi iyong SII (Serum Institute of India), sila po ang nagpo-produce ng Novovax, Bharat, AstraZeneca [COVID-19 vaccines]. Humiling po kami na mabigyan tayo ng pagkakataon na three to five million doses this first quarter para mabakunahan ang ating health workers,” Galvez added.

COVAX is an initiative co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO which seeks to “accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.” 

Among those included in COVAX’s COVID-19 vaccine portfolio are those of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen, and Novovax, among others.

“Iyong Johnson and Johnson, Gamaleya [of Russia], mga third quarter pa po,” Galvez added.

Galvez said the Philippine government will be securing 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from seven vaccine makers so far including Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Novovax, Johnson and Johnson, Gamaleya and Bharat BioTech. 

The Philippines has recorded 491,258 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday.

Of this number, 458,172 recovered while 9,554 died. —KG, GMA News

The number of active COVID-19 cases is at 23,532.