There is a good chance that the first vaccines coming to the country will come from the COVAX facility, according to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez on Tuesday.
The COVAX facility is an international initiative that guarantees access to the vaccine for at least 20 percent of the countries included in the program.
During the COVID-19 Vaccines CODE Team Visit in Pasig City, Galvez said that Pfizer called him to say that they had an agreement with COVAX.
“So ang Pfizer at AztraZeneca, and also most likely iyong Sinovac, ito po ang mauuna this coming February. And then it will be followed by Moderna and then Johnson & Johnson and Novavax,” said Galvez.
Galvez admitted that there is a “shortfall” in the supply of vaccines worldwide because some manufacturers have cut 50 to 60 percent in their manufacturing.
But he assured that the government is doing everything to get the vaccine needed in the country.
“Kaya nga ang ginagawa natin na strategy, we get more. So that just in case na mag-cut, it can be offset by other vaccine,” Galvez insisted.
He added that the public should not be in a hurry because many countries are still unable to get the vaccine because the rich countries have allegedly bought most of the supply.
First batch of vaccines may come from COVAX facility
“Huwag po kayong magmadali dahil sa Southeast Asia, 2 pa lang po ang nagkakaroon ng mini rollout, iyong Singapore ‘tsaka Indonesia. Wala pang 50,000 to 100,000 ang kanilang naro-rollout dahil ang supply at demand napakataas talaga, nakuha ng mga mayayaman na mga countries iyong ilang doses,” he said.
In November 2020, an analysis of a UK campaign group said the richest countries in the world already bought over 80 percent of US pharmaceutical company Pfizer’s potential COVID-19 vaccine.
The Global Justice Now analysis showed that rich governments already purchased more than 1 billion doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. These nations represent only 14 percent of the global population.
“The U.S. has purchased 100 million doses with an option to buy 500 million, enough to potentially immunize its entire population against the coronavirus with hundreds of millions of doses left over. Since Monday, Pfizer has also sold 40 million doses to the U.K. and 200 million doses to the E.U., with an option to buy 100 million more,” Julia Conley reported in WallStreetWindow.
vaccinesimmunogen consisting of a suspension of weakened or dead pathogenic cells injected in order to stimulate the production of antibodiesMore (Definitions, Synonyms, Translation)