The expected delivery of 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Sputnik V to the Philippines will be deferred, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday.
In a statement, Galvez said the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) informed the National Task Force Against COVID-19 vaccine cluster on June 20 that the arrival of the vaccine doses would be deferred “due to ongoing upgrades and latest developments on the vaccine.”
He added that the RFID has "committed to update the Philippine Government on the definite date of delivery of the vaccines."
So far, the Philippines has received 180,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. The arrival of the 500,000 more doses are intended as the second dose for those who have been vaccinated early this month with the brand’s Component I vaccine
"We have already informed all local government units who have administered the first dose of Sputnik V to their constituents that the schedule for the second shot will likewise be pushed back and will be rescheduled," Galvez noted.
“We seek your kind understanding that this development is beyond the control of the Philippine government. The manufacturer is seeking more ways to improve and upgrade the vaccine that would be more beneficial and would be more effective in battling the emergence of new variants,” he continued.
Galvez also said Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute communicated to the Philippines' Food and Drug Administration its intention to amend the interval period between the two doses of the vaccine.
“The FDA is currently studying this request together with the supporting report submitted by the Gamaleya Institute so that it can determine and recommend the appropriate interval period,” he said.
