Source:
https://scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3123490/game-changer-philippines-finally-receives-coronavirus
Asia/ Southeast Asia

‘Game-changer’: Philippines finally receives coronavirus vaccine after stalled roll-out

  • A Chinese military transport aircraft carrying 600,000 doses of vaccine arrived at an airbase in Manila in a late-afternoon event beamed live on TV
  • The initial deliveries are a small fraction of at least 148 million doses the government has been negotiating to secure to vaccinate about 70 million Filipinos
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte holds a vial of Sinovac’s coronavirus vaccine at Villamor Air Base in Metro Manila, Philippines, Photo: Reuters

The Philippines received its first batch of Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday, among the last in Southeast Asia to secure the critical doses despite having the second-highest number of coronavirus infections and deaths in the hard-hit region.

A Chinese military transport aircraft carrying 600,000 doses of vaccine donated by China arrived at an airbase in the capital in a late-afternoon event beamed live on state-run TV. President Rodrigo Duterte and top cabinet officials welcomed the delivery of the vaccine from China-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd. in a televised ceremony that underscored their relief after weeks of delays, officials said.