PHL welcomes arrival of 3 million doses of Moderna vaccines from the US

On August 3, the United States delivered a total of 3,000,060 doses of Moderna vaccine to the Philippines as part of its worldwide effort to help end COVID-19.

The shipment was provided directly to the Philippines by the U.S. government, with delivery via the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, a global initiative to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.  This is the U.S. government’s second bilateral vaccine donation to the Philippines, following its July delivery of 3.2 million one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines to the country.

U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires John Law joined President Rodrigo Duterte, Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana, Secretary of Health Francisco Duque III, Secretary of Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año, IATF Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, and other stakeholders at Villamor Air Base to welcome the arrival of the Moderna vaccines on August 3.

“Recent outbreaks in the region remind us all this pandemic is not yet over, but the science is clear – the best way to stay healthy, to keep your loved ones safe, and to bring this pandemic to an end is to get vaccinated.  The United States is working, and will continue to work, with the Philippines to make safe, effective vaccines widely available throughout the country,” said Chargé d’Affaires Law.

The Philippines has now received more than 13.3 million vaccine doses through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), a global initiative run by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.  The United States is the largest monetary contributor to Gavi, having already provided nearly Php100 billion ($2 billion) to the Alliance.

The United States has worked closely with Philippine stakeholders throughout the pandemic to protect public health and support the local response to COVID-19.  To date, total U.S. government COVID-19 assistance to the Philippines amounts to over Php1.37 billion ($27.5 million).