Donated vaccines target 1.5M Filipinos

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion on Thursday said the private sector would donate up to 3 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, in a deal that would cost up to P700 million.

“We’re targeting 2.5 million to 3 million doses which will help 1.5 million people in the upper end of the range since the vaccine requires two doses. We want to ensure that the Philippines will not be left behind when the vaccines come out in 2021,” Concepcion said in a statement.

Concepcion said the vaccine would be donated to the Department of Health (DOH), which would handle the deployment.

Half of the donations will be set aside for medical front-liners, while the other half will cover employees in the private sector—both regular and contractual.

Zero profit

Concepcion said the private sector was working closely with Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, who is leading separate government-led discussions with vaccine producers, including AstraZeneca.

Concepcion said AstraZeneca had a zero-profit program for 2021, which means the vaccines are priced as low as possible.

He said Go Negosyo, which he founded, would purchase 70,000 doses of the vaccine, which would be good for 35,000 people in small industries.

The vaccine from AstraZeneca is expected to cost around $10 (P500) for two doses.

The private-sector donors are International Container Terminal Services Inc., BDO Unibank, First Philippine Holdings Corp., Go Negosyo, LT Group Inc., San Miguel Corp., Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Universal Leaf Philippines Inc., LBC Express Holdings Inc., Udenna Corp., GT Capital Holdings Inc., Wilcon Depot Inc., Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc., Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Golden ABC Inc, Mercury Drug Corp., Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing Inc., Bounty Fresh Food Inc., RFM, Concepcion Industries, Jollibee Foods Corp., Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Phils. Inc., Philippine Transmarine Carriers Inc., Magsaysay Maritime Corp., Nova Group, Alliance Global Inc., JG Summit Holdings Inc., Philippine Franchise Association, Double Dragon/MerryMart, Filinvest Development Corp., Lotis Shoppe, Century Properties Group, Bench, CDO, Mercedez Benz, Rustans, Megaworld, and Seaoil Philippines. —Roy Stephen C. Canivel