Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21) — The Philippines is mulling to procure the coronavirus booster shot candidate made by American firm Moderna, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said on Wednesday.
Moderna offered to sell five million more doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the Philippines, according to Galvez, chief implementer of the National Task Force Against Covid-19., .
Galvez, however, said the Philippine government could buy the booster instead. He noted it can be mixed and matched with “any (coronavirus) vaccine.”
“Ang balak po namin iyong five million,” he said in a House hearing on the country’s vaccination program. “Instead na ang bibilhin namin ay iyong vaccine, we might buy the booster already.”
[Translation: We intended to purchase the five million doses. Instead, we will buy the booster shots.]
Moderna announced last month it began giving its booster vaccine to the first Phase 2 clinical trial participants. The study plans to enroll 60 volunteers who have previously received Moderna’s vaccine, it added.
The Philippines earlier signed a tripartite agreement with the American drug manufacturer to receive 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine.
An initial shipment of nearly 200,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine is scheduled to arrive in the country on June 15, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said on Tuesday.
