Over 1M Japan-donated AstraZeneca COVID-19 shots arrive in PH

An ANA flight 819 arrives in the Philippines carrying more than a million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from the Japan government. Screengrab from Pafa Twitter post

MANILA, Philippines — Over one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from British-Swede drug firm AstraZeneca arrived in the Philippines on Thursday night.

In a Twitter post, Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Robert Eric Borje said the flight carrying the donated doses has arrived in Manila.

ATM: ANA flight 819 bearing more than 1M doses of COVID 19 vaccines arrive in Manila. A donation of the Japan Govt, PRRD will welcome the turnover. #PartnershipsThatWork @AmbJPNinPH @JPN_PMO pic.twitter.com/6m47eK7U1N

— PAFA (@ph_opafa) July 8, 2021

This is one of two batches of AstraZeneca COVID-10 vaccine expected to be delivered this week, according to Malacañang.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to the Department of Health to accept the AstraZeneca vaccines from Japan.

Japan has donated over one million AstraZeneca doses to the Philippines. It has also made donations to other Asian nations such as Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia.

The donations had been initiated as wealthy nations are pushed to provide more doses to the global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX to cover a 200-million dose shortfall.

Japan has pledged $1 billion and 30 million doses to the COVAX facility and said this month that its direct shipments to Asian neighbors are being made outside of COVAX to speed up delivery.

JPV