FILE PHOTO: Vials labelled “AstraZeneca, Pfizer – Biontech, Johnson&Johnson, Sputnik V coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine” are seen in this illustration picture taken May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has requested to get between 3 million and 5 million doses of the 80 million surplus doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the United States, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday.
“Alam natin na kailangan din ng ibang bansa ang mga vaccines. Ang ano namin is kung mabigyan po tayo ng 3 to 5 million, maganda na po ‘yon,” Galvez said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.
(We know that a lot of countries need vaccines. What we hope to get is 3 to 5 million doses, that would be great already.)
“We requested for almost 3 million AstraZeneca at saka yung other vaccines, considering that AstraZeneca will not be used in the U.S. but they have stocks,” he added.
(We requested almost 3 million AstraZeneca and the other vaccines, considering we know that AstraZeneca will not be used in the U.S. but they have stocks.)
The Philippines is among the countries to receive the excess vaccine doses from the U.S., Manila’s envoy in Washington earlier announced.
Philippines Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Romualdez said President Joe Biden will announce the distribution of the 80 million doses this week.
Galvez said he received a letter from the U.S. Embassy in Manila that the Philippines will be among the priority countries to be given the surplus doses.
“We are very hopeful na yung sa 80 million, malaki yung magiging share natin dahil alam ng US na talagang kailangang kailangan po natin,” he added.
(We are very hopeful that in that 80 million, we would have a big share because the U.S. knows we really need the vaccines.)
Galvez surmises that the U.S. could make their donation through the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, a global platform aiming to provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, especially for low and middle-income countries.