Gov’t to focus on buying Pfizer, Moderna over Sinovac shots – Galvez

FILE PHOTO: Vials with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine labels are seen in this illustration picture taken March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government will focus on procuring US-made COVID-19 vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna as the deal for China-made Sinovac vaccines is set to be completed, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the national vaccine manager, said Wednesday.

The government would be open, however, to exploring new procurement deals with Sinovac BioTech, he added in an interview after the arrival of over 365,000 government-procured Pfizer vaccine doses when asked about the issue.

“Yes, we are exploring to buy more [Sinovac vaccine doses], but once the majority of the Pfizer and Moderna [doses] have been completed, we might be concentrating on these major brands,” he said.

The government earlier secured 25 million doses of Sinovac vaccines, of which 21.5 million have so far been delivered.

According to Galvez, Pfizer-BioNTech will “pick up its delivery” of vaccines next month, starting with five million doses.

Earlier, the government sealed a deal for 40 million doses of Pfizer vaccines. It also signed an agreement with the private sector for the procurement of 20 million Moderna vaccines.

Galvez thanked the Philippine embassy in the United States and the US government for giving access to over 65 million vaccines to the Philippines.

He also thanked the US government for its donation of single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

The Philippines have so far received about 4.3 million doses of Moderna vaccines and 4.2 million doses of Pfizer vaccines.

ATM