MANILA -- Following the previous AstraZeneca vaccine arrival last July 16, the Bureau of Customs – NAIA facilitated the release of another 415,040 doses of AstraZeneca on August 2, 2021.
Around 4:25 P.M., Flight No. EK332 containing the seventh (7th) batch of AstraZeneca arrived at Terminal 3 - Bay 114 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Upon arrival, the vaccines were immediately underguarded until delivered to Pharmaserv Cold Storage Facility.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and University of Oxford, is the second COVID-19 vaccine that has been issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It wa also the second COVID-19 vaccine imported into the country comprising of 487,000 doses last March 4. It followed the first COVID-19 vaccine arrival in the Philippines on February 28, 2021. To date, 7,273,940 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines have already been cleared by the Bureau since March.
As the country continues to battle the current health crisis, BOC-NAIA headed by District Collector Carmelita Talusan will continue to diligently uphold the mandate of the Bureau of Customs under the direction of Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero to expeditiously facilitate the clearance and release of time-sensitive COVID-19 vaccine shipments as part of its contribution to the country’s immunization campaign against COVID-19. (BOC)
