The country has yet to strike Covid-19 vaccine supply deals with American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the Russian Embassy, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said officials from the DOH, Office of the President, Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Science and Technology met with top officials from Pfizer yesterday.
“Sila po ay nagbigay ng kanilang proposal at ang Pilipinas naman… ay nakipag-usap po ukol dito [sa] mga initial na mga pag-aaralan,” Vergeire said in a Laging Handa briefing.
“Pag-uusapan kung ano ang magiging arrangement. So wala pa tayo talagang final na agreement with Pfizer,” she added.
Meanwhile, the country also has yet to have intensive discussions with the Russian Embassy on securing supply of Russia’s “Sputnik V” vaccine.
“Pini-prepare natin ang ating gobyerno dahil haharap tayo sa kanila in the coming weeks, maybe next week or the week after para makapag-usap na nang maliwanag para po dito sa bakunang ito,” Vergeire said.
Pfizer’s vaccine development reached Phase 3 of trials last June.
The “Sputnik V” vaccine, on the other hand, had not undergone massive human trials.
Last Aug. 18, President Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippines would be ready to take out loans to buy the Covid-19 vaccines developed by other countries once available. John Ezekiel J. Hirro