‘Hindi tataas ng P700:’ Galvez disputes ‘very erroneous’ report on Sinovac vaccine price

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr answers queries from senators during the continuation of the Senate Committee of the Whole hybrid hearing on the national government’s COVID-19 vaccination program, Friday, January 15, 2021. (Albert Calvelo/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday disputed reports that the Philippine government will be procuring China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine at the highest rate compared to other countries.

In an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel, Galvez was asked about a news item from the Bangkok Post, which supposedly reported that Indonesia will be getting Sinovac’s vaccine for $17 dollars per dose while the Philippines will be procuring each dose for $36 dollars.

“Mali po yung sinasabi na $36, mali po ‘yun. Very erroneous po yung information po na ‘yan,” Galvez said.

(The $36 dollars they are saying is wrong. That’s very erroneous information.)

Galvez said the market price of Sinovac’s vaccine is only at $26.5 per dose and that the Philippines was able to negotiate for a cheaper price.

He did not disclose, however, the exact price, but noted that it would not be more than P700.

Over the weekend, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque disclosed that the Sinovac vaccine to be sold to the Philippines will only cost around P650, similar to its price in other countries.

“Sinabi nga namin kay Sec. Roque na hindi tataas ng P700,” Galvez said.

(We told Sec. Roque it would not exceed P700.)

‘Nangaangkin ng accomplishment…’

The vaccine czar also disagreed with the perception that Sinovac’s vaccine price for the Philippines may have been brought down following the Senate’s hearing into the government’s inoculation plan.

On Sunday, Senator Panfilo Lacson tweeted: “If it’s true that [the] government is now dropping the price of [the] Sinovac vaccine from P1,847.25 per dose to only P650, the Senate has probably done our share to save our people billions of pesos in the country’s vaccination program.”

But Galvez said the price has already been negotiated even before the Senate conducted its inquiry.

“Masyado nangaangkin ng accomplishment yung ano…kasi kahit na nung wala pa yung Senate hearing, yung price ay ganun na po talaga,” he said.

(That’s credit grabbing…because even before the Senate hearing, the lower price was already negotiated.)

Galvez also reiterated that the Philippine government has not yet made any payment to Sinovac.

He said the government will be paying the firm one month after a supply agreement has been signed and after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the vaccine’s application for an emergency use authorization.

So far, the government has only signed a term-sheet with the Chinese company.

“The vaccine should be approved by the vaccine expert panel and FDA before payment,” Galvez said.

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