U.S. donates anew nearly 4M Pfizer doses to PH

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The United States, in partnership with the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, delivered on March 7 its largest single-day shipment yet of 3,999,060 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the Philippines that marked President Joe Biden’s goal of shipping 200M doses to partner countries within 100 days.

United States Agency for International Development Philippines Health Office Director Michelle Lang-Alli joins Philippine government officials and other stakeholders at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to welcome the latest shipment of the COVID-19 vaccines. 

U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé affairs (CDA) ad interim Heather Variava said the U.S. is are immensely proud that its friends, partners, and allies in the Philippines are receiving this historic shipment. 

“This significant donation underscores the United States’ commitment to continue working with our Philippine partners to combat COVID-19 even as we face serious challenges around the world,” Variava added.

Coinciding with this milestone is the anniversary of the first COVAX delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines.  The U.S. is the largest donor to COVAX having donated $4 billion to help protect the most vulnerable and at-risk populations in 92 low and middle-income countries. 

To date, the Philippines has received from COVAX a total of nearly 74 million vaccines doses, enough to vaccinate one in five Filipinos and the U.S. has already provided more than 33.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Philippines. 

In addition to vaccine donations, the U.S. government has also provided more than P1.9 billion ($39 million) in COVID-19 assistance to the country to support testing, crucial care, communication campaigns, protection and training of health workers, vaccine deployment, and essential equipment and supplies. (Photos: U.S. Embassy/Google Images)