Philippines gets 1.15M AstraZeneca vax from private firms

Over 1.15 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines purchased by the private sector arrived in the Philippines on Friday, July 16.

The second batch is expected to arrive in mid-August with around 1.17 million doses.

Presidential adviser Joey Concepcion stated that these vaccines were bought by nearly 500 companies and some may be donated to local government units depending on company decisions.

Concepcion also mentioned a 'A Dose of Hope' initiative where the private sector purchased 2.6 million doses in November 2020 and another 17 million doses in January 2021, agreeing to donate half to the national government.