PH receives record vaccine doses amid Omicron variant detection

The Philippines received a record 10,403,550 COVID-19 vaccine doses on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, including donations and procured shipments of AstraZeneca, Moderna, Janssen, and Pfizer brands.

These arrivals coincided with the confirmation of the Philippines' first two Omicron variant cases from travelers arriving from Japan and Nigeria.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. assured the public of the government's preparedness for the Omicron variant, including strengthened border controls and local health system responses.

Preparations involve stricter pre-departure tests, facility quarantine, and testing of all arrivals, alongside active case finding and isolation for local cases.

An additional 556,500 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, procured by the national government, arrived on Thursday night.

A study in South Africa indicated that Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine provided 70% protection against hospitalization during a wave of Omicron infections.

The Department of Health has identified close contacts of the two confirmed Omicron cases.