PH asks Russia’s Gamaleya to allow LGUs to purchase its Sputnik V vaccine

FILE PHOTO: A dose of Sputnik V coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine is seen during the start of the mass inoculation program in Podgorica, Montenegro, March 8, 2021. REUTERS/Stevo Vasiljevic

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government and Russia’s Gamaleya Institute are in talks to allow local government units to purchase its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Friday.

Galvez bared the development as he reiterated that the government is expecting to receive 2 to 3 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine in April and May.

“Magkakaroon po kami ng negotiation this coming Tuesday. At ang initial request po namin is kung puwedeng makapag deliver sila ng more or less 3 million doses this coming April, May. And then meron kaming ongoing negotiation sa kanila na kung puwedeng pahintulutan nila na makabili ang mga LGUs,” Galvez said in an online briefing.

(We are holding negotiations this coming Tuesday. Our initial request is if they could deliver more or less 3 million doses this coming April, May. We also have an ongoing negotiation if they could allow LGUs to buy their vaccine.)

“We are requesting mabigyan tayo ng kahit 2 million man lang this coming April,” he went on.

(We are requesting that we be given at least 2 million doses this coming April.)

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

Gamaleya Institute’s Sputnik V has already secured an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration.

The vaccine is said to be 91.6 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 based on stage 3 clinical trials.

The FDA said the Sputnik V vaccine can only be given to persons 18 years old and above.

/MUF