Private sector working to purchase Novavax, Moderna vaccines

The private sector is already working to get a supply of Moderna and Novavax coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines.

This is after it was announced that AstraZeneca no longer accepts vaccine orders.

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The private sector has helped consolidate 8 million doses of Moderna vaccine, according to Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion.

About 800 companies participated in the briefing and showed interest in the Novavax vaccine, which is said to have an 88 to 89 percent efficacy rate.

But the government has also said it will no longer donate to private companies.

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“Hindi na kailangan ng donation kasi malaking bagay na rin na kami ang bumibili ng vaccines para sa empleyado. Itong mga vaccines na ito na Moderna at Novavax, mas mahal ito kaysa sa Astrazeneca,” said Concepcion.

The first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines purchased by the private sector and the government will arrive in May or June.

AstraZeneca has acquired up to 17 million doses, thanks to their tripartite agreement.

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This is in addition to the 5 to 8 million doses expected to come from the COVAX facility.

The second batch will arrive in the third quarter of 2021.

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Private sector working to purchase Novavax, Moderna vaccines

AstraZeneca is one of two vaccines against COVID-19 with emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier claimed that the country would secure more than 160 million COVID-19 vaccine dosage from the following within the year:

  • 44 million doses from COVAX facility arriving in February
  • 25 million doses from Sinovac arriving in February
  • 10 to 15 million doses of Gamaleya arriving in April
  • 30 million doses of Novavax arriving in May
  • 17 million doses of AstraZeneca arriving in May
  • 20 million doses of Moderna arriving in July
  • 15 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech arriving in August and
  • five million from Johnson and Johnson arriving in October.

The government aims to vaccinate against COVID-19 the 70 million Filipinos or two-thirds of the population and the procurement of 148 million doses of vaccine.

Also read: Returning overseas Filipino tests positive for COVID-19 UK variant