Press Release
June 12, 2021

Pangilinan welcomes 2.2 million US-supported Covax vaccines

SENATOR Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan welcomes the arrival of over 2 million US-supported Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to be distributed to Cebu, Davao, and Manila as these would provide much-needed boost to the Philippines' Covid-19 vaccine supply.

"Nagpapasalamat tayo sa US at kay President Joe Biden para sa higit 2.2 million na bakuna na dumaan sa international Covax facility. Tamang-tama ito dahil kailangang-kailangan ng Pilipinas para magtuloy-tuloy ang ating vaccine roll-out," Pangilinan said.

"Nawa'y tumaas ang kumpyansa ng ating mga kababayan sa pagbabakuna dahil sa donation na ito ng US. We hope that this will increase confidence in the vaccination program," he added.

The Philippines received the biggest vaccine shipment to date with the arrival of 2,282,850 doses of US Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on June 10.

The United States is the largest contributor to the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access or Covax, a global initiative to ensure global vaccine equity.

An initial delivery of 193,050 doses of US Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines arrived May 10.

With only 4.06 percent of the Philippine population so far given their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, Pangilinan hopes that the arrival of more vaccines will kickstart an increase in the country's vaccination rate.

"Mahigit isang taon nang close-open ang mga tindahan. Ilang beses na rin nagkaroon ng spikes sa bilang ng na-Co-Covid. That's why we are heartened by the reassurance of the United States that there will now be a continuous supply of vaccines," Pangilinan said.

"We thank the United States and the Covax initiative for their continuous support to the Philippines," he said.

The senator earlier called to reconvene the Senate Committee of the Whole to get updates on the national vaccine plan.

A notice of hearing was announced yesterday, June 11.

The hearing on the national vaccination program will be held on Tuesday, June 15 at 10 a.m.

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