MORE than 390,000 doses of bivalent Covid-19 vaccines were received by the Philippine Government, through the Department of Health (DOH), from the Lithuanian government on Saturday night.
The DOH explained through a statement that the negotiation for the vaccines started as early as August last year. Six months later, it was finally offered last January by the Lithuanian government.
The DOH said the Philippine government expedited the processes and issuance of permits for the vaccines.
“It is with great pleasure that we have received such generous donations from the Lithuanian Government and our sincerest gratitude to our partner agencies for being one with the DOH in seeing that within our reach is a bountiful future, one that is most achievable starting with ensuring that we have sufficient protection against the Covid-19 virus,” DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said.
Vergeire also encouraged every eligible Filipino to get the opportunity to gain longer and stronger protection by getting vaccinated against Covid-19.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration a bivalent Covid-19 vaccine provides broad protection against the virus and is expected to provide better protection against Covid-19 caused by currently circulating variants.
Health officials who received the vaccines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City were led by Management Services Team (MST) Assistant Secretary Leonita P. Gorgolon. Also in attendance were the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania Julia Netta Vildzius Peña and the Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union to the Philippines Ana-Isabel Sanchez-Ruiz.