Philippines Receives 500,000 More Doses of AstraZeneca Vaccine

As the fight against Delta continues.

by Arianne Merez

Photo/s: Handout

The Philippines on Friday received half a million more doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as the country ramps up inoculations to thwart the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus Delta variant.

The latest shipment of 575,800 AstraZeneca vaccines was part of the procured jabs by the private sector, according to the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

Tycoons in December last year led the procurement of AstraZeneca jabs through tripartite deals involving the national government.

Some 150,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine are also expected to arrive on Friday.

So far, the Philippines has fully vaccinated some 12 million of its people against COVID-19. The country aims to inoculate at least 50 million to achieve "population protection" from the virus.