No supply agreement yet for Covid vaccines? ‘The ball is not in our hands,’ says vaccine czar

(Photo by Vincenzo PINTO / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Friday said the government has yet to sign any supply agreement with vaccine manufacturers since “the ball is not in the Philippines’ hands”.

“Ang supply agreement po kasi, ang nagdidictate po yung supplier. Kung sabihin nila, we will pause [for] a while, even though sabihin natin na we meet pero wala pong definitive na date ng delivery, how can we have the payment and terms?” Galvez said Friday in an interview onABS-CBN News Channel.

(The supply agreement is dictated by the supplier. Even if we tell them to meet, but if they say that we pause for a while, how can we have the payment and terms?)

“Hindi po delaying. The ball is not in our hands. Nasa kanila po kasi,” he added.

(We’re not delaying. The ball is not in our hands. It’s in theirs.)

Vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. (PRIB Photo)

Galvez himself disclosed in a Senate hearing on Thursday that the Philippines has not yet signed a supply agreement with Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers. 

The Philippines has only signed term sheets with various manufacturers, securing some 108 million doses of vaccines, he added.

 (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon expressed worry that this could mean there is no firm commitment yet on the delivery of vaccines.

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