Philippines to Get 600,000 Sinovac Shots From China This Month

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The Philippines will receive 600,000 Sinovac Biotech Ltd. coronavirus vaccine doses donated by China this month, with the military getting 100,000 shots, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Thursday.

The shots are expected to arrive on Feb. 23, and will be stored until these are cleared for emergency use by the nation’s Food and Drug Administration, he said in a televised briefing. Vaccines from the World Health Organization-backed COVAX initiative, which were due to arrive next week, will be shipped later this month, he said.

Some 10,000 doses of Sinopharm Group Co.’s vaccines were cleared for use of President Rodrigo Duterte’s security detail, the health department said in a statement. The Philippines plans to buy 148 million doses this year to inoculate 70 million people to achieve herd immunity.

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