First batch of COVID-19 jabs for private sector to arrive June 17 – Galvez

FILE PHOTO: Woman holds vials labeled “COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine” over dry ice in this illustration taken, December 5, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

MANILA, Philippines— The initial batch of COVID-19 vaccines for the private sector will arrive this Thursday, June 17, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez  Jr. told senators on Tuesday.

During the hearing of the  Senate Committee of the Whole on the government’s vaccination drive against the new coronavirus, Galvez revealed the arriving batch will be 500,000 doses. He did not disclose what brand.

“The first vaccine that will be coming is on June 17 with the Chinese chambers. That’s for  500,000…, ” Galvez said, responding to queries of Senator Joel Villanueva.

“And then for the ICTSI (International Container Terminal Services, Inc.),  part of the 250,000 they will handle 55, 000,”  he said. He did not elaborate.

But before this, Galvez mentioned the tripartite agreements with the private sector, including the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) for the procurement of  500,000  doses of  COVID-19 vaccines and ICTSI and other conglomerates for 7 million doses, among others.

In a later text message to INQUIRER.net, Villanueva said the 500,000 doses for the FFCCCII would be CoronaVac, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, while the 7 million doses, which includes the 250,000 doses expected to arrive this June, for ICTSI and other conglomerates would be the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna.

Villanueva likewise asked how many workers in the private sector would be vaccinated through these tripartite agreements with the government and vaccine manufacturers.

Galvez replied: “For the doses that we have bought, more or less they will be vaccinating more or less only 20 million, partly considering that most of the  vaccines are two doses.”

“So, if they have more or less, we have 24 million, they will only vaccinate 12 million,”  he also pointed out.

It was at this point that Senator Cynthia Villar manifested that the private sector has not yet received even a single vaccine despite the opening of vaccination for essential workers under the A4 category.

READ: Vaccination door opens gradually for 35 million workers

“The private sector is now being vaccinated under A4 so wala pang dumadating sa mga binili nila eh. So they are being vaccinated under A4. They are entitled under A4,”   Villar said.

The government earlier said that for this month, it anticipates the delivery of 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines – specifically, Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines through the COVAX facility on  June 10 and the third week of June, respectively, as well as Moderna vaccine on June 21 and Sputnik V on June 8.