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Grappling less of the supply chain: Sen. Pia Cayetano, agreeing with colleagues that Filipinos should be given the best COVID-19 vaccine, notes that rich countries have already purchased up to three times more than their population, probably because they want to have supplies coming from different suppliers and maybe in the coming months, they would also know if they would prefer one versus another. Cayetano, during Friday’s hybrid Committee of the Whole hearing, January 22, 2021, said that the second batch of vaccine supply coming from another supplier six months later might be better than what the country purchased earlier. Vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. agreed with Cayetano, saying that the country is only grappling for the 18 percent of the supply chain. He said Canada actually bought more than six to nine times of their population, leaving other countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, Romania, Indonesia and UAE to rely only on those available vaccines that will be coming in. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)