Valenzuela to ink deal with AstraZeneca; vaccination expected by July

MANILA, Philippines — Valenzuela City government will sign an agreement with British drugmaker AstraZeneca to procure vaccines against the coronavirus disease, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Saturday.

Gatchalian said the city mayor and his brother, Rex, will sign the agreement, which is the first step to securing the COVID-19 vaccines by July.

“Within the week, magpipirmahan na ang Valenzuela at AstraZeneca para mag-supply ng bakuna. Ang estimated timetable—  July, dadating na ang physical na bakuna sa Valenzuela,” said Gatchalian over DWIZ.

(Valenzuela and AstraZeneca will sign an agreement for the supply of vaccines. Physical vaccines are estimated to arrive by July.)

Gatchalian, also a former mayor of Valenzuela,  said the city government initially planned to have 70 to 80 percent of its population vaccinated. Instead, locality will vaccinate 40 percent of its population due to public demand for vaccines, Gatchalian also noted.

In a previous television interview, the Valenzuela mayor said they will follow the Department of Health’s order to coordinate with the national government on the procurement of vaccines.

“We will always follow what experts will say in this case DOH and FDA [Food and Drug Administration]. I agree we will have to complement and supplement what the national government will be doing. Valenzuela won’t mind setting aside funds so that the country will get better terms of what the country will provide,” Rex said over ABS-CBN News Channel.