MALACAÑANG on Thursday, February 18, 2021, said all requirements for the delivery of vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) through the Covax facility have been submitted.

In his virtual press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Covax requires the following: emergency use authorization (EUA) for the vaccines; indemnification agreement; and national deployment and vaccination plan.

Roque noted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued separate EUAs for the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines.

He also confirmed that vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. has submitted an indemnification agreement that will protect vaccine manufacturers from the risks of unforeseen claims due to injury associated with the vaccine.

The government’s national deployment and vaccination plan, which was completed in January, has also been submitted, Roque added.

He confirmed that delivery of the vaccines will be delayed.

He said the 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine, which was announced earlier to be delivered on February 15, will be delayed due to logistics problems.

Donated Sinovac vaccines from China will also be delayed because the FDA has yet to issue an EUA for the Sinovac vaccine.

“Nais po muna nilang antayin ang EUA bago iparating sa ating bansa yong kanilang donated na Sinovac (vaccine). So, kapag hindi po lumabas ang EUA, baka maantala rin ang pagdating ng 600,000 doses ng Sinovac,” he said.

Delivery of the first AstraZeneca vaccine shipment is still estimated in late February.

Meanwhile, Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte was expected to sign Thursday a memorandum order allowing up to 50 percent advance payment for the procurement of vaccines against Covid-19.

This would allow local government units to make the advance payments, he said.

Duterte was also expected to certify the indemnification bill as urgent.

He said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has suggested the creation of a P500-million fund to indemnify those who may suffer from vaccination side effects. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)