VACCINE PRODUCTION A worker inspects a batch of vaccines produced at a Beijing factory built by Sinovac, one of 11 Chinese companies approved to carry out clinical trials of potential coronavirus vaccines, in this photo taken in September 2020. —AFP
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will personally witness the arrival of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government on Sunday, Malacañang has confirmed.
“It’s in his sched,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told INQUIRER.net in a text message on Friday.
In a previous online Palace briefing, Roque said the President wanted to personally welcome the arrival of the donated Sinovac vaccines out of “utang an loob” (debt of gratitude).
China will donate some 600,000 doses of vaccines developed by Sinovac which Roque said will arrive on Sunday, Feb. 28.
This, after it finally secured an emergency use authorization from the Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration.
The Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF), meanwhile, said the rollout schedule of the donated vaccines remains on hold as immunization experts are still discussing the allocation of the 600,000 doses.