PH eyeing 2 million doses of Russian COVID-19 vaccine by April

In this file photo taken on December 15, 2020 a medical worker shows a vial with Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) vaccine against the coronavirus disease during the vaccination of medics at a clinic in the far eastern city of Vladivostok.  The vaccine has 91.6-percent efficiency against Covid according to a recent study and is already being used in several countries around the world. It is yet to be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for use in the EU but some ex-communist member states are planning to do so regardless. (Photo by Pavel KOROLYOV / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines may receive two million doses of Gamaleya Research Institute’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine from Russia this April once it secures an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Thursday.

“We are now talking with Gamaleya, pag nagkaroon po tayo ng EUA, we will order five to 10 million [doses]. Initially, ang ano namin magkaroon ng two million this April,” Galvez said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.

(We are now talking with Gamaleya. Once we have an EUA for its vaccine, we will order five to 10 million doses. Initially, what we want is to get two million this April.)

Vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. (File photo from the Senate PRIB)

“‘Yun ang nakita namin kasi yun ang commitment nila,” he added.

(This is their commitment to us.)

FDA officials were supposed to go to Russia this week to inspect Gamaleya Research Institute’s vaccine factory, but was cancelled after the firm submitted the required documents to secure its EUA in the Philippines.  

Russia has said the Sputnik V is 92 percent effective in protecting people from COVID-19.

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