THE government is now eyeing to purchase some of the 100 million excess Covid-19 vaccines of Canada.
Likewise, it is also vying for a manufacturing deal for the production of a Canadian Covid-19 vaccine.
In an online interview on Monday, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Rodolfo Robles disclosed he already had the country “listed” among those nations which are interested in buying the unused Covid-19 jabs from Canada.
The Canadian government secured 180 million Covid-19 jabs despite only having a 40-million population, who will each need two doses.
“So that means there will be an excess of 100 million jabs…and I am really watching with an eagle eye…the prospect of getting some excess directly from Canada,” Robles said.
He said the government will know the number of doses that will be made available by the Canadian government once it completes its vaccination drive by the middle of the fourth quarter.
In a related development, Robles said he trying to secure an agreement with Canadian pharmaceutical firm, Medicago, for the possibility of manufacturing its Covid-19 vaccine in the Philippines.
He revealed the matter is already in the hands of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as well as the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
“We can start negotiating more formally after [having] that NDA [non-disclosure agreement]…approved by the Philippine government through DOST and I think IATF also,” Robles said.
He said he offered the pharmaceutical ecozone in Bulacan to Medicago as well as the perks of starting their production there, such as tax-free trade perks and free capital importations and the like.