PH secures 30 million Novavax vaccine doses

The Philippines has secured an assurance of 30 million doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine from the Serum Institute of India.

The Serum Institute of India agreed to provide these doses on a "non-profit, no loss concept" at approximately $5 per dose, or P500 for two shots.

This Indian company also assured that no cash advance will be required for the vaccine acquisition, making transactions flexible.

The arrival date for these 30 million doses is still pending regulatory approvals from agencies like the US and UK.

Novavax is currently conducting Phase 3 clinical trials in the United States, United Kingdom, and Mexico, and has not yet published efficacy rates.

The Philippines is also in negotiations to potentially secure another 30 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca, and is hoping to secure 60 million more doses in total for the second and third quarters of 2021.