Galvez: First batch of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine may arrive Q2 2021
MANILA, Philippines — The first batch of Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech that was initially expected to arrive in the Philippines in mid-February may instead be delivered by the second quarter of this year, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Monday.
Delivery of the 117,000 doses of Pfizer jab under the World Health Organization-led COVAX was delayed due to paperwork, particularly on the indemnification agreement to address post-vaccination side effects.
“Nakikita natin na baka sa 2nd quarter [of 2021] ‘yung COVAX ng Pfizer makukuha,” Galvez said in a press conference at the Philippine Government Hospital (PGH) where the government kicked off its Covid-19 vaccination program.
(We can see that the Pfizer vaccines coursed through the COVAX facility may arrive in the 2nd quarter of 2021.)
Galvez said negotiations with the US pharmaceutical firm are still ongoing even after the Philippine government has already submitted its indemnification pact for Pfizer vaccine.
READ: ‘Impasse’ on delivery of Pfizer vaccines cleared, as PH receives contract side letter — WHO
READ: Pfizer, Sinovac deliveries to PH face more delays
He added that Filipinos should not expect the bulk of Pfizer vaccines to arrive anytime soon because supply is scant.
“We should not expect na ‘yung Pfizer ay darating sa madaling panahon dahil kasi nakita natin na halos lahat ng bansa kinukuha nila ‘yung Pfizer at saka Moderna at saka AstraZeneca,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government could not provide yet a definite date for the delivery of 3.5 million doses of the vaccine made by British-Swede drugmaker AstraZeneca although it also said its arrival may be anticipated within the first quarter of 2021.
READ: Supply problem delays arrival of AstraZeneca vaccines by a week — Duque
Some 525,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine via the COVAX facility were supposed to be delivered today, March 1, but the government said it would not happen because of global supply issues.
The Philippines is also trying to obtain vaccine supplies from US-based Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
To date, the country’s Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac.
KGA
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