Vials with a sticker reading, “COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only” and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
MANILA, Philippines — Moderna, Inc. has agreed to supply the Philippines with 13 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, with the deliveries coming in mid-2021.
The biotechnology company said it will work with regulators in the Philippines for necessary approvals prior to the distribution, as its vaccine is currently not yet approved for use in the country.
Moderna said a separate agreement with the Philippine government and the private sector for the supply of an additional seven million doses of the vaccine is also anticipated.
“We thank the Government and the private sector for their collaboration to bring the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna to the Philippines,” Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna, said in a statement Saturday.
“We appreciate the confidence in Moderna, and our mRNA platform demonstrated by the Government of the Philippines. We remain committed to making our vaccine available on every continent to help end this global pandemic,” he added.
Philippine ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez earlier said the Philippine government, along with the private sector, has secured up to 20 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the World Health Organization, the COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna has been shown to have an efficacy rate of approximately 92 percent against the disease, starting 14 days after the first dose.