PH to sign deal for up to 20 million vaccines from AstraZeneca — Galvez

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is set to sign on Thursday a deal with British drugmaker AstraZeneca to secure 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said.

“Bukas nga po ay aming pipirmahan, lalagdaan po namin ang tripartite agreement ng more or less 20 million doses para sa AstraZeneca,” Galvez said Wednesday in a televised briefing.

(Tomorrow, we will sign a tripartite agreement to acquire more or less 20 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccines.)

There is also a “conclusive final agreement” with other drugmakers expected to be signed in the coming days, Galvez said.

“Lahat ng ating na-negotiate pati sa Moderna, Pfizer, at ibang brand, ang Johnson and Johnsons ay maganda po ang ating negotiation, meron na po tayong tinatawag na conclusive final agreement na puwede nating pirmahan any day from now,” he said.

(All of our other negotiations with Moderna, Pfizer and other brands like Johnson and Johnsons have good development. We now have a conclusive final agreement that we can sign any day from now.)

Previously, the national government and the private sector already secured 2.6 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccines.

The Philippines has also signed deals with China’s Sinovac and the Serum Institute of India.

JE