MANILA, Philippines — The initial 15,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine arriving on Wednesday will be deployed in Metro Manila, Malacañang said.
“Sa Metro Manila po, dahil nga po sa cold storage requirement niya,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday in an online briefing, when asked where the initial batch of Sputnik V will be used.
(It will be used in Metro Manila because of its cold storage requirement.)
Sputnik V, developed by the Gamaleya Institute, should be stored in a dark place with temperatures not exceeding -18 degrees Celsius.
Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte will not be present to welcome the arrival of the first 15,000 doses of Sputnik V.
Meanwhile, some 485,000 more doses of Sputnik V will be delivered to the Philippines on April 29.
Sputnik V already secured an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and can be administered to those who are 18 years old and above.
The Philippines is eyeing to order 20 million doses of Sputnik V from Russia.