MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is so far slated to receive only 100,000 doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the country’s vaccine manager, disclosed Monday during the pre-recorded briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte that was televised Monday night.
The government is currently in talks with Gamaleya for a vaccine supply and has requested three million doses, but the firm only committed 100,000 doses, Galvez said.
According to Galvez, he, along with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay, will talk to Russia Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to negotiate for more doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.
“We really need three million doses because these can be used on senior citizens,” Galvez said.
Duterte has admitted that the government has been having difficulty in getting COVID-19 vaccines since countries are fighting over the supply, with some buying up the doses.
“Something has gone wrong with most of the countries. They shanghaied [the doses]. There’s a ruckus going on and the fight for COVID-19 [vaccine] possession is ongoing, is a very serious one,” he said.
Galvez concurred, adding that countries where vaccines are manufactured are preventing their importation, causing a severe shortage in global supply.
