Galvez says 30 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine Novavax to arrive 2nd half of 2021

At least 30 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine Novavax are set to arrive in the country by the second half of the year.

Chief implementer of the government’s national policy on Covid-19 Carlito G. Galvez said he signed the supply agreement with the manufacturer of the vaccine, Serum Institute of India, during his trip to India last week. 

“It will most likely arrive by third or fourth quarter of the year,” Galvez said. 

He said they are now waiting for the Novavax or its distributor to secure a Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so its Covid-19 vaccine could be used locally once it arrives.  

The vaccine czar noted they are still negotiating for the 7 million doses of the Novavax vaccines to be purchased by the private sector through the government. 

The government will be using the US$500 million loan from the World Bank and  the US$400 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to pay for the Covid-19 vaccine it will purchase from Novavax and other vaccine makers. 

The 1 million vaccine doses it will purchase from Chinese pharmaceutical firm, Sinovac Biotech will be paid by the Department of Health (DOH).

The P700 million worth of Sinovac vaccines are expected to arrive next week. 

Galvez explained said they will make a downpayment to Sinovac, worth 15 percent of the vaccine price, this week. 

He said the government will pay the remaining 85 percent once the vaccine shipment arrives.

The government is targeting to use the additional million Sinovac vaccine to complete the immunization of 1.7 million medical workers.