FILE — An engineer works in the general laboratory during a media tour of a new factory built to produce a COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at Sinovac, one of 11 Chinese companies approved to carry out clinical trials of potential coronavirus vaccines, in Beijing on September 24, 2020. (Photo by WANG ZHAO / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Although negotiations are still ongoing, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the Philippines is already looking at sourcing up to 50 million dosages of COVID-19 vaccines being developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech.
“Tinitignan po natin unang una doon sa China, Sinovac, isa po ito sa mga sources natin na more or less 20 to 50 million doses ang kukunin natin doon,” said Galvez, who is also the country’s pandemic response chief implementer, in a televised briefing.
(We are looking at China’s Sinovac as one of the sources, securing more or less 20 to 50 million doses.)
Galvez said the Philippines is also threshing out agreements on vaccines being developed by the United Kingdom, India, Australia, and more.
“Kumukuha po tayo ng portfolio of access sa different vaccine producers at saka mga countries para po at least meron tayong five to six na countries na pagkukunan po nito,” Galvez said.
(We are getting a portfolio of access from different vaccine producers and countries so that we could have at least five to six countries to source the vaccines.)
China’s Sinovac has already submitted to the Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration its application to conduct Phase 3 of clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine in the country.
The Philippines is targeting to vaccinate 60 million Filipinos against the new coronavirus to achieve herd immunity wherein enough people in a specific area are protected against infectious disease.