THE additional 400,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine donated by China arrived Wednesday morning, March 24, 2021.
The Philippine Airlines (PAL) aircraft that carried the shipment from Beijing touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 7:25 a.m., PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.
It was PAL’s first airlift of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines to Manila from an international hub, she said.
It was the second Sinovac shipment to arrive in the Philippines, after the 600,000 doses that were also donated by China on February 28.
“We are grateful for the arrival of additional donated vaccines. The arrival of these vaccines could not have occurred at a more opportune time considering the continued rise in cases, which in turn increases the need to inoculate more high-risk individuals as soon as possible,” Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a statement.
He said the prioritization framework will still be followed in the distribution of these additional vaccines. Healthcare workers get first priority, followed by senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, and police and military personnel.
Duque said one million additional doses of Sinovac vaccine, or CoronaVac, and 979,200 more doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are also expected to arrive by end-March.
The AstraZeneca shots are donated through the Covax facility.
Aside from Duque, China’s Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, Senator Christopher Go and National Task Force against Covid-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon also welcomed the second Sinovac shipment.
The government aims to inoculate up to 70 million Filipinos by the end of the year.
As of March 22, 408,995 individuals, mostly health workers, have received the first dose. Both the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines are administered in two doses. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)