Asia

Philippines can secure up to 25 million doses of Moderna, Arcturus COVID-19 vaccines: Ambassador

FILE PHOTO: Spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Manila
FILE PHOTO: Filipinos wearing masks and face shields for protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) walk along a street market in Manila, Philippines, Dec 3, 2020.  (Photo: REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo)
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MANILA: The Philippines will be able to secure between four million and 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Arcturus Therapeutics, the Southeast Asia country's ambassador to Washington said on Friday (Dec 18).

The US companies were ready to supply the vaccines from the third quarter of 2021, Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said in a statement, if his government found their proposals acceptable.

"We are hoping our government will consider the promising candidates of Moderna and Arcturus for inclusion in our country's pool of anti-COVID-19 vaccines," Romualdez said.

READ: Philippines extends partial COVID-19 curbs in capital to end of 2020

The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to grant Moderna emergency use authorisation soon. Arcturus expects to start distributing its vaccine in the first quarter of next year after early stage trials showed promising results.

Moderna and Arcturus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At a news conference, Philippine Health Ministry Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire welcomed signs of progress in the negotiations but said each vaccine candidate would need to get regulatory approval to ensure safety and efficacy.

READ: Festive Filipinos trying to save Christmas from COVID-19

The Philippines plans to buy 25 million doses of a vaccine supplied by China's Sinovac Biotech for delivery by March. In addition, the private sector agreed last month to acquire 2.6 million shots of a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in the nation's first supply deal for a coronavirus vaccine.

The Southeast Asian nation had missed out on an opportunity to buy 10 million doses of Pfizer's vaccine for delivery in January, Romualdez said.

With 454,447 infections and 8,850 deaths, the Philippines has reported the second-highest number of COVID-19 infections and casualties in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.

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Source: Reuters/kv