Push Admin

China COVID vaccine donations helpful as PH struggles to buy doses, says Duterte

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/05/06/20210426-covid-vaccinaton-san-juan-md-3346.jpg"/><figcaption>Second-dose vaccinations of Sinovac for senior citizens and people with comorbidities continue in San Juan City on April 26, 2021, as new stock of vaccines arrive in the country. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA—President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday night again thanked China for donating COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines, supposedly augmenting the country&#x27;s limited jab supply. </p><p>Duterte made the remark following Health Secretary Francisco Duque III&#x27;s discussion on the country&#x27;s COVID-19 situation. </p><p>&quot;Ang problema talaga natin . . . sa Pilipinas, kulang ang bakuna. Nagbibili tayo ng kung saan-saan at dumadating na ngayon paunti-unti. Were it not for the donation of China, zero. We started with nothing,&quot; said Duterte. </p><p>(Our main problem here in the country is the limited vaccine supplies. We already tried buying everywhere, and it is arriving in small batches.) </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/29/21/duterte-china-west-philippine-sea-covid-vaccine">Duterte: Philippines grateful to China, but West Philippine Sea &#x27;cannot be bargained&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>&quot;We could continue preventing sickness, hospitalization and everything kung may bakuna na tayo at na-distribute na natin sa lahat ng corners ng Pilipinas,&quot; he added. </p><p>(If we have enough vaccine doses, those could be distributed to different corners of the country.)</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><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&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1678251" 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><p>The Philippines has so far received 3.5 million vaccine doses from China&#x27;s Sinovac, 1 million of which have been donated. </p><p>As of May 4, the total number of Filipinos who already received their 2nd vaccine dose reached 320,586, accounting for 0.46 percent of the government&#x27;s target 70 million by the end of the year. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/05/21/philippines-covid19-vaccine-statistics-may52021">More than 320,000 Filipinos fully vaccinated vs COVID-19, says DOH</a></li></ul><p>Out of the 4,040,600 doses that reached the country, 3,970,680 or 98 percent have already been distributed to local government units since the country&#x27;s inoculation rollout on Mar. 1. </p><p>Duterte said the slow vaccine rollout is because of limited vaccine shots. </p><p>&quot;Ang problema bakuna. Hindi that we are not doing anything, or that we are not doing it properly. Who would ever think that there would be a pandemune (sic) an epidemic, a pandemic,&quot; he said. </p><p>The President earlier this week was inoculated against COVID-19 using China&#x27;s Sinopharm vaccine, which has yet to receive regulatory approval in the Philippines. </p><p>The country has received supplies of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Russia&#x27;s Gamaleya Institute.</p><div class="infogram-embed" data-id="_/yFVE69R1WlSdqY3aCsBF" data-title="COVID-19 VACCINE TRACKER PH" data-type="interactive"> </div><div><script type="text/javascript">!function(e,i,n,s){var t='InfogramEmbeds',d=e.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement('script');o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src='https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js',d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,'infogram-async');</script></div>

<p>Duterte on Wednesday night again thanked China for donating COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines.</p>

Duterte on Wednesday night again thanked China for donating COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines.