Russia to start vaccine production for PH by January

Russia can start producing COVID-19 vaccines for the Philippines as early as January 2021, contingent on the Philippines completing due diligence, signing an agreement, and finalizing procurement.

This possibility follows interim trial results indicating Russia's Sputnik V vaccine candidate is 92% effective.

The Philippines plans to acquire an initial 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the upcoming year, prioritizing the poor, security forces, government frontline workers, and healthcare workers.

Ambassador Carlos Sorreta noted that Russia is also exploring co-production agreements with other countries.

The Department of Health and Department of Science and Technology are engaged in discussions with the Russian government regarding vaccine development.

Senator Ralph Recto proposed that Congress should allocate at least P100 billion in the national budget for vaccine orders, citing the current P18 billion allocation as insufficient.

While Sputnik V is currently used in Russia for emergencies and is in its third stage of trials with 40,000 participants and no reported adverse effects, the Philippines must ensure it has the necessary infrastructure for vaccine storage, particularly the required temperatures, though a less temperature-sensitive version might be available at a higher cost.