FILE PHOTO: Vials with a sticker reading, “COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only” and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is now in the final stages of negotiation with American biotechnology company Moderna for the procurement of up to 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines.
Moderna’s vaccines may be expected for delivery to the Philippines in mid-2021, according to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez.
“I am please to share that, following months of discussions with Moderna, the Philippines is in the final stages of negotiating for the supply of a minimum of 10 million doses of mRNA-1273, the company’s vaccines, with the option to purchase an additional 10 million doses, for delivery beginning in mid-2021,” Romualdez said in a statement posted by the embassy over Twitter on Wednesday.
Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez on vaccine talks with Moderna, 11 January 2021@philippinesusa@ntfcovid19ph@USEmbassyPH @moderna_tx pic.twitter.com/jF9B9l0tjE
— Philippine Embassy in the USA (@philippinesusa) January 12, 2021
Last December, Romualdez said Moderna and another company, Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., are willing to supply up to 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines in the third quarter of 2021.
“I welcome the pledge of support of the private sector led by ICTSI’s Enrique Razon in shipping and distributing the vaccines from the manufacturing facility in Spain to the Philippines at no cost to the Philippine government,” Romualdez went on.
National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 chief and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the government is eyeing to secure a total of 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine within the week.
Galvez said the Philippines has so far secured 30 million doses of the Covovax coronavirus vaccine, which he said is extendible to 40 million doses.
The government has also secured 25 million vaccine doses from China’s Sinovac, 30 million doses of vaccine from British drugmaker AstraZeneca, and 25 million doses of Russia’s Gamaleya or Sputnik V vaccine.