MANILA -- The Philippines on Friday, July 16, received the first shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines purchased by the private sector and local government units.
The flight carrying 1,150,800 doses arrived at the NAIA Terminal 1 past 10 a.m. and was welcomed by Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr, National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, and British Embassy in Manila deputy head of mission Alastair Totty.
These LGUs and private sector-procured vaccines were secured through the “A Dose of Hope” initiative led by Concepcion under the tripartite agreement signed between the private sector, LGUs, national government, and biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca.
This latest shipment brings the total number of AstraZeneca doses delivered to the Philippines to 6,858,900, of which 1,124,100 doses were donated by the Japanese Government, while the 4,584,000 doses came from the COVAX facility. (National Task Force Against COVID-19)
