Over 1.7 million Pfizer-BioNTech doses arrive

More than 1.7 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the country on Monday afternoon.

The 1,776,060 doses, which arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 past 4 p.m., were donated tot he Philippines by the US government and sent through the global vaccine-sharing facility COVAX.

US Embassy Charge d'Affaires ad interim Heather Variava, who was there at the arrival of the vaccines, said that today's shipment, and another one coming on Tuesday, will total 3.4 million doses. 

"This 3.4-million donation will bring the total donation from the United States, from the American people, to 22 million [doses]," she said.

A shipment of government-procured Pfizer-BioNTech jabs is expected to arrive within the day.

The Philippines has so far administered 100,907,667 vaccine doses.

At least 43 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated.

The country has so far recorded 2,837,730 COVID-19 cases including 2,777,354 recoveries and 50,784 deaths. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/BM, GMA News