PRRD to welcome first batch of COVID-19 vaccines today

The Philippines’ first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech is scheduled to arrive today, giving the country’s fight against the pandemic a dose of hope.

- NOREEN JAZUL, JALEEN RAMOS, and GENALYN KABILING

Around 600,000 doses of vaccines developed by Sinovac Biotech will be delivered to Manila with President Duterte and some Cabinet members ready to welcome the cargo at the airport.

The arrival of the Sinovac vaccines, donated by the government of China, comes as the pandemic has infected more than half a million people and severely weakened the local economy.

“Excited na kami dahil bukas darating na ang bakuna. Personal na sasalubungin ni Presidente (We are excited because the vaccines will arrive Sunday. The President will personally welcome the vaccine arrival),” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said over state television Saturday, Feb. 27.

The turnover of the vaccines is set for 5 p.m. Sunday at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

With the arrival of the 600,000 donated vaccines, the national government is also expected to kick off its inoculation program this week.

Roque said the vaccine rollout can begin by Monday, March 1.

“All we need is one day and then we will roll out. So, if it arrives on Sunday, if I am not mistaken, then we can roll out on Monday, dahil excited na excited na po ang maraming kababayan natin (because many of our countrymen are really excited),” Roque said in a press conference Thursday, Feb. 26.

The government said it aims to vaccinate up to 70 million or twothirds of the population this year to help attain herd immunity. Among the priority beneficiaries are frontline health workers, senior citizens, economic frontliners, and poor and vulnerable citizens.