500,000 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Philippines

A fifth shipment of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by China's Sinovac arrived on Thursday.

The 500,000 doses brought to 3,525,600 the number of anti-COVID-19 shots which arrived in the Philippines.

The batch on board a Philippine Airlines is the third Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine shipment paid for by the national government.

Of this number, 3 million doses are Sinovac while the rest are AstraZeneca donated by global effort COVAX facility.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez said 20 percent of the vaccines will be distributed in the National Capital Region, the epicenter of the pandemic in the country.

"More or less 100,000 po mapupunta sa Metro Manila. Matatapos po ito within two to three days ang deployment at inaasahan po natin na iyong administration nito is within one week matatapos po kaagad," Galvez said.

Based on Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluation, Sinovac has the following efficacy rates:

• 65% to 91% among healthy individuals aged 18 to 59,
• 50.4% for health workers, and
• 51% to 52% on senior citizens or those aged 60 and above.

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, on the other hand, has an efficacy rate of 70% after the first dose based on FDA evaluation.

The 70% rating increases after the second dose is administered four to 12 weeks after.

Sinovac and AstraZeneca are given in two doses. --NB, GMA News