The Philippines is expecting to receive some 600,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac on February 23, the Philippine Star newspaper reported on Thursday, citing presidential spokesperson Harry Roque
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2021) The Philippines is expecting to receive some 600,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac on February 23, the Philippine Star newspaper reported on Thursday, citing presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
According to Roque, as cited by the media outlet, 100,000 doses will be given to the Philippine military. The spokesman added that the vaccine would not be immediately administered, as it has not yet been authorized for emergency use by the country's food and Drug Administrator (FDA).
"It (Sinovac) will be stored until such time that it is approved. If it is not issued EUA [emergency use authorization], it will be sent back," Roque said, as quoted by the newspaper.
The Philippines is expecting to receive additional 25 million doses of the Chinese vaccine this year.
Earlier in January, the Philippines National Task Force said that the country was planning to acquire 148 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine with the aim to inoculate at least half of its over 100 million population in 2021. The FDA approved the vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech last month and currently studies applications for Sputnik V and AstraZeneca vaccines emergency use.
