Pfizer, AstraZeneca vaccines from COVAX may arrive this May – Galvez

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines can expect to receive COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility this May, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the country’s vaccine manager, said.

In a pre-recorded meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte aired Wednesday, Galvez said at least one million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines and 1.3 million doses of Pfizer vaccines would be arriving this month.

“We will better volumes this May because something positive will happen: COVAX may already deliver Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines,” Galvez said, speaking partly in Filipino.

“More or less one million or two million from AstraZeneca,” he added.

With the arrival of AstraZeneca vaccines, Galvez said those who already received their first dose need not to worry about their second dose.

Over half a million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines that the country earlier received were all used for the first dose injections.

The interval between the administration of the first and second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine is from four to 12 weeks.

“We had good negotiations with Pfizer. There was an assurance 1.3 million doses will arrive in May,” Galvez said.

Of this figure, Galvez said some 193,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines would most likely arrive on May 11.