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Philippines gets first 15,000 Sputnik V COVID-19 shots

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ABS-CBN News

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img src='http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/05/01/health-coronavirus-slovakia-russia.jpg' ><figcaption>A medical specialist holds a vial of the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus in a department store in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 18, 2021 Shamil Zhumatov, Reuters/File </figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA <strong>(2nd UPDATE)</strong> — After a delay, the Philippines on Saturday received its first batch of 15,000 shots of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine from Russia. </p><p>The COVID-19 shots, developed by Russia's Gamaleya, landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) around 3:44 p.m. via Qatar Airways Flight QR 932, according to the Office for the Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs. </p><blockquote class='twitter-tweet'><p dir="ltr" lang="en">ATM: Qatar Airways flight bearing 15k doses of Sputnik V arrive in Manila. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoreVaccinesMoreLivesSaved?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#MoreVaccinesMoreLivesSaved</a> 🇵🇭🇷🇺 <a href='https://t.co/EsSJZIc3sY'>pic.twitter.com/EsSJZIc3sY</a></p>— PAFA (@ph_opafa) <a href='https://twitter.com/ph_opafa/status/1388400964181188608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>May 1, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async src='https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' type='text/javascript'></script></div><p>These were considered a "trial order" from Russia, Malacañang earlier said. </p><p>The delivery raises the Philippines' total vaccine stock to 4.040 million, about 1.8 million of which have been administered as of April 27. </p><p>"Logistical challenges" including the vaccine's cold storage requirement and the lack of direct flights from Russia had delayed the supposed arrival of the Sputnik V shots last Wednesday. </p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/21/21/ph-prepared-to-handle-powder-liquid-form-of-sputnik-v-vaccines-set-to-arrive-this-week-doh'>PH prepared to handle powder, liquid form of Sputnik V vaccines set to arrive this week — DOH</a></li>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/02/03/21/the-sputnik-v-vaccine-a-scientific-and-political-win-for-russia'>The Sputnik V vaccine: A scientific and political win for Russia</a></li></ul><p>The Philippines is negotiating for <a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/04/13/21/ph-eyes-20-million-doses-of-russias-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccine'>20 million</a> Sputnik V doses. </p><p>The Food and Drug Administration has <a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/19/21/philippines-grants-emergency-authorization-for-russias-sputnik-v-vaccine'>cleared</a> the vaccine for emergency use. </p><div><strong>'HIGHLY SENSITIVE VACCINES' </strong></div><p>The Department of Health said the first batch of Sputnik V jabs would be used for simulation or practice prior to public deployment.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/04/27/21/metro-manila-to-get-first-sputnik-covid-19-shots '>Metro Manila to get first Sputnik COVID-19 shots</a></li></ul><p>In a statement, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. described the vaccines from Russia as "highly sensitive" but despite this, the government is "excited" to include it in the government's vaccine rollout. </p><p>The shots will also help the government reassess the country's logistics capacity to handle the vaccines that need -18 degrees storage requirement. </p><p>"Through this trial phase for Sputnik V, we will not only be able to improve the logistics component our vaccine program, but also prepare the implementing units in receiving and administering this type of vaccine," he said, expressing his gratitude to Russian officials. </p><p>He added that the country is expecting up to 20 million more doses of Sputnik V shots to arrive this month. </p><p>"The Sputnik V doses that will be arriving this month will provide a major boost to our national immunization program, as we simultaneously immunize priority groups of healthcare workers, senior citizens and people with comorbidities," </p><p>He earlier said that the country is expecting "<a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/25/21/philippines-covid19-vaccine-june-2021-galvez'>accelerated delivery</a>" of COVID-19 vaccines beginning next month even as global production of the jabs is seen to stabilize only in June. </p><p>To date, the country has tallied 1.046 million COVID-19 cases, over 72,000 of which are remaining active cases. </p><p>The disease has claimed 17,354 lives so far in the Philippines. </p><p>Among the hardest hit by the pandemic in Asia, the Philippines aims to inoculate a third of its population or 50 to 70 million by the end of the year to achieve herd immunity.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/infographic/03/17/20/tracking-covid-19-cases-in-the-philippines'>Tracking COVID-19 cases in the Philippines</a></li></ul><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=1672672' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more in <a href='//www.iwantv.com.ph/'>iWantv</a> or <a href='//tfc.tv/'>TFC.tv</a></div><div><strong>- Reports from Jamaine Punzalan, Pia Gutierrez, and Jeffrey Hernaez, ABS-CBN News</strong><br> </div><div class='infogram-embed' data-id='_/yFVE69R1WlSdqY3aCsBF' data-title='COVID-19 VACCINE TRACKER PH' data-type='interactive'> </div><script type='text/javascript'>!function(e,i,n,s){var 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<p>The Philippines on Saturday took delivery of its first batch of 15,000 shots of the COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V from Russia, after a delay. </p>

The Philippines on Saturday took delivery of its first batch of 15,000 shots of the COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V from Russia, after a delay.