The National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 on Wednesday announced that the delivery of the 170,000 Sputnik V vaccine doses will be delayed due to logistical problems.
In a message to reporters, the NTF said the vaccines, originally scheduled to arrive today, would arrive at a later date.
The delayed batch consists of 170,000 components 1 and 2 of the Russian vaccine.
“There were packing issues and this caused some delays with DHL. It will be on the next available flight out of Moscow,”
NTF deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon said there had been packing issues that caused the delay, but assured that “it (would) be on the next available flight out of Moscow.”
The Philippines has so far received 180,000 doses of Sputnik V.
This was the third time the delivery of Sputnik V doses was delayed.
Sputnik V, developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Russia, requires storage in facilities with temperatures of -18°C.
The Philippines expects to receive 20 million doses of the vaccine by yearend. John Ezekiel J. Hirro