BY JEFFREY DAMICOG
The country will hopefully receive its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines by June or July, COVID-19 Task Force chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Friday.
Galvez said in an interview on CNN Philippines that this will be possible once the government reaches an advance market commitment (AMC) with the vaccine manufacturer.
“Bibilang po tayo ng six to seven months para ma-deliver po ‘yung vaccine,” he said.
Should an AMC is secured this month, the vaccine czar said, “Puwede tayong makakuha ngayong June or July.”
Under the AMC, Galvez said the government will make advance payments to the company by as much as 10 to 50 percent of the cost of the vaccine.
At the moment, Galvez disclosed that the government is seeking to secure AMCs this month with three vaccine manufacturers from the United States, United Kingdom, and China.
In December, he said, the government also hopes to get AMCs with around three to four more pharmaceutical companies.
Galvez said the advance payment to the pharmaceutical companies will be made bank-to-bank this January through the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which has been designated by the government as its procurement agent and fund manager.
The vaccine czar said the government is targeting to vaccinate 25 million Filipinos during the first year and another 25 million in the second year.
