Contrary to the government’s promise, more than 525,000 doses of AstraZeneca from the COVAX facility did not arrive in the country this Monday.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said “supply problems” were the reason why the delivery of vaccines was delayed, according to a notification from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday.
“We have to understand kasi nakita natin ‘yung logistical chain ng ating COVAX facility considering na talagang ‘yung vaccination ngayon globally ay nag-a-accelerate ‘yan,” said Galvez on Sunday.
According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque, it is possible that the arrival of AstraZeneca vaccines in the country will be delayed by one week.
Duque said he will ask UNICEF, one of the constituents of the COVAX facility, to explain why the delivery of the vaccines has been completed.
“Sinasabi nila na hindi raw makakarating dahil may supply problems daw. Ako naman, inatasan ko ang DOH na kausapin ang UNICEF at sila mismo ang magpaliwanag kung ano nga ba ang nangyari, kung bakit mukhang naantala na naman ang pagdating ng AstraZeneca vaccines via the COVAX facility,” Duque told TeleRadyo on Monday.
‘Supply problems’ caused delay of AstraZeneca delivery
Despite this, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez announced that 26 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are expected to arrive.
About 20 million will come from Moderna, while 6 million will come from Johnson and Johnson.
“Ang pagdating niyan ay by phases kasi unti-unting darating ‘yan pero a total of 20 million. Iyan ang ine-negotiate natin sa Moderna. Mag-uumpisa sigurong dumating ‘yan mga May or June of this year at tuloy-tuloy yan hanggang 3rd and 4th quarter of this year,” said Romualdez.
Johnson and Johnson, on the other hand, is expected in the second half of next year because its production is just about to start.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the country would proceed by the first quarter of this year despite spending results that its efficacy against the dominant original COVID-19 variant in the Philippines is low.
British drugmaker AstraZeneca said their vaccine could only give limited protection against mild disease caused by the South African variant of COVID-19.