PH may get Johnson & Johnson vaccines via COVAX — Galvez

Vials of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine candidate are seen in an undated photograph. Johnson & Johnson/Handout via REUTERS.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines can expect to receive deliveries of the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson via the COVAX facility after the drugmaker secured an emergency use listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Thursday.

“Ang maganda po, ang Johnson & Johnson meron na po siyang EUL sa WHO so puwede na po siyang makasama sa COVAX,” Galvez said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.

Asked if this meant the Philippines may also receive it via the WHO-led global vaccine sharing pool, Galvez said: “Yes, yun ang magandang balita.” (Yes, that’s the good news.)

Previously, the Philippines was only expecting Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility. In March, 525,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines were already delivered.

Meanwhile, Galvez said the country’s supply agreement with Johnson & Johnson is expected to be signed soon.

“Yes, malapit na po, inaayos na po natin yung supply agreement. Most likely po, this coming week po na ito baka mapirmahan na po natin,” he said.

(Yes, we are ironing out the supply agreement. Most likely, this coming week we might be able to sign it.)

The Philippines already reserved 6 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Romualdez previously said.

However, Romualdez said Johnson & Johnson could not give a definitive date of delivery as it was still addressing the high vaccine demand within the U.S.

/MUF