30-M DOSES NG NOVAVAX PARATING SA HUNYO 

INAASAHANG darating sa bansa sa pagitan ng Hunyo hanggang Setyembre ang may 30 million doses ng US Novavax sa sandaling malagdaan na ni National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Inplementer at Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez  Jr. ang supply agreement para sa nabanggit na bakuna.

Sa kasalukuyan ay nasa India sina Galvez kasama ang mga health experts upang lumagda sa supply agreement ng US Novavax vaccine na mina-manufacture ng Serum Institute of India (SII).

Bagamat ang SII ang siya ring nagma- manufacture ng AstraZeneca vaccine, sinabi ni Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Humaran na hindi ito lisensiyado na mag-supply sa Southeast Asia at Filipinas ng nabanggit na brand ng United Kingdom.

“But for other vaccine that we’re using in India, which is an outstanding vaccine developed by Indian scientists, its called Covaxin by Bharat Biotech, that Emergency Use Authoritzation is with the FDA,” sabi ni Humaran.

Ayon kay Humaran, umaasa ang India na makapagsu-supply pa ng mas maraming bakuna sa Filipinas ng Bharat vaccine. “ The advantage of Bharat is that they could potentially start supplies in late April or in May itself. So that will be, I think a useful supplement to some of the other vaccine supplies that are coming in to the Philippines,” dagdag pa ng embahador.

Ayon pa kay Humaran, ang Covaxin ay may 81 percent efficacy sa interim data kung kaya’t maituturing na nasa hanay ng mga best vaccines sa buong mundo.

“The discussions are essentially underway for 30 million doses and I believe that the Philippine side is interested in a larger number and that detail is being currently negotiated,” ayon kay Kumaran.

Bukod sa Novavax doses, nag-uusap na rin ang dalawang bansa kaugnay sa 8 million doses ng Covaxin na gawa naman ng Indian firm na Bharat Biotech.

“We are hoping that now that we are entering Phase 3, efficacy data has been shared, we have an esrly EAU and that we can pick up the commercial negotiations, I believe  as asso  as Secretaru Galvez and ream are back, we should be able to commence their engagement” dagdag pa ni Kumaran. EVELYN QUIROZ