Palace: AstraZeneca’s vaccines from COVAX ‘sure’ to arrive this March

FILE PHOTO: Vials with AstraZeneca’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine are seen at the vaccination center in the Newcastle Eagles Community Arena, in Newcastle upon Tyne, Britain, January 30, 2021. REUTERS/Lee Smith

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday assured that more than 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccines from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility will arrive this month.

Some 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccines were supposed to arrive in the Philippines on Monday, March 1, but the delivery encountered delay due to “supply problems.”

“Opo, iyong COVAX facility ay inaasahan po natin na mayroon pa tayong 500,000 plus so sigurado po iyan darating ng Marso,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over dzBB when asked for the status of AstraZeneca vaccines’ delivery.

(Yes, we are expecting 500,000 plus from the COVAX facility and this will surely arrive this March.)

Officials have yet to announce the final arrival date of these AstraZeneca jabs.

“At kaya nga po kampante po ang gobyerno na tuluy-tuloy na po ito at sa lalong mabilis na panahon sana matapos po natin ang mga health workers, 3.4 million po iyan,” Roque said.

(That’s why the government is confident that the vaccination will be continuous and as soon as possible, we hope to finish vaccinating our 3.4 million health workers.)

“Pagkatapos po sana ay mayroon na tayong makuha para sa mga seniors dahil iyon na po ang ating susunod na target ng ating vaccination,” he added.

(After them, we hope to get more for the senior citizens because they are the next target of our vaccination.)

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government targets to finish vaccinating all health workers in March and to start inoculating the general public by May.

EDV