President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday China would donate 400,000 more doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines to bring its total aid to a million jabs, proof of the close ties between the two nations under his leadership.
Duterte's announcement comes nearly a week after Manila received its first shipment of 600,000 vaccine doses courtesy of China's Sinovac.
"China will give us another 400 [thousand doses of COVID-19 vaccines], making their donation to this country one million," Duterte said during a school building inauguration in Valenzuela City.
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The President did not specify which vaccine brand China would donate but noted that he preferred to get the Sinopharm jab.
The Philippines started this week its COVID-19 vaccination program using Sinovac jabs and is expected to receive a second shipment of vaccines---487,200 doses of AstraZeneca shots courtesy of the COVAX global facility.
The country aims to inoculate all of its health workers this March.
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