1.15 M AstraZeneca vaccines arrive

‘Dose of Hope’ receives first tranche of COVID-19 jabs under tripartite agreement

- MARTIN A. SADONGDONG and GENALYN KABILING

More than 1.15 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID19) were delivered to the country on Friday morning, July 16.

The life-saving jabs were purchased through a tripartite agreement between the local private sector led by the Go Negosyo Foundation, the national government, and British biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca.

The shipment carrying 1,150,800 doses of the vaccine arrived via China Airlines flight CI701 at around 10 a.m. at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City.

The arrival of the vaccines was witnessed by Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19; Health Secretary Francisco Duque III; Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion; AstraZeneca Country President Lotis Ramin; and British Embassy in Manila deputy head of mission Alastair Totty.

Also present were A Dose of Hope Program Lead Josephine Romero and Zuellig Pharma Chief Business Officer Jannette Jakosalem.

The vaccines were secured through the A Dose of Hope initiative led by Concepcion under a tripartite agreement.

The President's adviser also expressed gratitude to AstraZeneca, the national government, and private sector partners for making the vaccine delivery possible.

“These vaccines for employees have arrived. The private sector is playing a big role in trying to achieve population protection, which targets 50 percent of NCR Plus, but definitely, we are looking forward to achieving herd immunity by the end of the year,” he said.