PH at end of line of countries buying COVID-19 vaccines – Duterte | Inquirer News

PH at end of line of countries buying COVID-19 vaccines – Duterte

/ 02:46 AM January 14, 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is at the tail end of the queue for coronavirus vaccines as rich countries have already cornered most of the supplies, President Rodrigo Duterte said on a taped briefing aired on Wednesday.

“We have money, but it’s in the bank. The problem is that rich countries bought all the supplies. There’s a scramble [for vaccines] now,” he said, speaking partly in Filipino.

According to him, procurement laws have not made it easy for the country to get vaccines, as the government could not  “play” with public funds.

Article continues after this advertisement

But he said that Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementor of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, had already talked with the Chinese firm — that is Sinovac Biotech — from which the government would buy vaccines.

FEATURED STORIES

In September, Duterte slammed pharmaceutical companies, particularly those in Western countries, for asking for advance payment for COVID-19 vaccines still under development.

In November, he changed his mind, allowing concerned government agencies to enter into advance market commitments with private vaccine developers and make advance payments.

Article continues after this advertisement

[atm]

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.

TAGS: coronavirus Philippines, COVID-19, COVID-19 Vaccine, Rodrigo Duterte

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.