PH secures 19.6M AstraZeneca vaccine doses

The Philippines has secured 19.6 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine through a tripartite agreement involving the national government, local government units, and the private sector.

The initial delivery of these AstraZeneca doses is expected in July 2021, with the bulk of the shipments scheduled for 2022.

The total cost for the secured doses is approximately P6 billion.

The AstraZeneca vaccine can be transported and handled under normal refrigerated conditions, making it suitable for deployment in various areas.

The Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve AstraZeneca's application for emergency use authorization.

The Philippines aims to inoculate its citizens and is procuring vaccines from multiple manufacturers, including Pfizer and Sinovac.

The country intends to vaccinate 50 to 70 million Filipinos in 2021, with the vaccine rollout expected to begin in February.

At least 50,000 doses of Sinovac are anticipated to arrive next month, marking the start of the country's vaccination program.