First shipment of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines arrives in PH

(Updated, 12:15 a.m., March 5, 2021)

MANILA, Philippines β€” The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines developed by British-Swede drugmaker AstraZeneca has arrived in the Philippines on Thursday.

The plane carrying 487,200 vaccine doses from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) past 7 p.m.

It will later be towed to Villamor Air Base where government officials, including President Rodrigo Duterte, will welcome its arrival.

β€œI am pleased to inform you that the shipment of 487,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines arrived tonight. After the ceremony these will immediately be delivered to storage for repackaging to prepare for immediate distribution to our frontliners,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chairman of the NTF Covid-19, which is the chief implementer of all IATF resolutions.


After the ceremony, the vaccines will be transported to Metropac, Marikina City.

This is the second batch of vaccines to arrive in the Philippines, following the 600,000 Sinovac vaccine doses donated by the Chinese government, which arrived last Sunday, February 28.

The vaccines were initially set to arrive on March 1 but were delayed due to global supply problems.

The number of doses set to arrive was also at 525,600 but was reduced due to cargo limitations as the vaccine will be delivered using a commercial flight, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. explained.

The Philippines is expected to receive about 5.5 million to 9.2 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses this year through the COVAX facility.

EDV

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