Filipinos wear face masks to avoid COVID-19 infection in Manila capital (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Some 1.5 million Filipinos willreceive the AZD1222 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine following anagreement between the Philippine government and AstraZeneca, a UK-Sweden pharmaceuticaljoint venture, last week.
Under the 600million peso (12.5 million USD) deal, which ensures that 2.6 million doses ofthe vaccine are delivered to the country in May and June next year.
National Task Force against COVID-19 Chief Implementer andVaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr said the vaccine would be subjected toevaluation by the country's panel of vaccine experts and the Food and DrugAdministration.
Half of thedoses will be for government frontliners, and the other half for regular andcontractual employees in private companies, he said.
ThePhilippines was the only country in Southeast Asia where AstraZeneca had chosento test its vaccine. The firm requested each person to take two doses of itsvaccine to ensure efficiency.
The local authorities said they are negotiating with AstraZeneca to purchase anadditional 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses./.
VNA
