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= TIMELINE: The Philippines’ 2021 COVID-19 vaccine plan = For nearly a year, President Rodrigo Duterte used speech after speech to claim that salvation from the pandemic would come from one thing only: vaccines. Now, the Philippines is just weeks away from starting an immunization campaign that aims to deliver exactly that.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr outlined the ambitious targets the government had for its vaccine program: secure at least 148 million vaccine doses and inoculate 50 million to 70 million Filipinos within 2021 – just enough to reach the recommended 60% of the population scientists estimated was needed to reach herd immunity against COVID-19.

In reaching these goals, Galvez, along with other pandemic and health officials face challenges that have stumped even the wealthiest of countries when distributing vaccines to the public.

With the distribution of the country’s first vaccine doses slated for February, the Duterte government’s timeline for its vaccine plan in 2021 hinges on many things – including delivery, storage, local government plans, and drawing up of masterlists – going right.

"Where things stand now" The Philippine government is in talks to secure vaccines from 7 companies, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novavax, Sinovac, Gamaleya, and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceutica). Galvez said of the 7 companies, there were 5 with whom term sheets have been signed.

Term sheets are the second to the last document that needs to be signed. It sees companies commit to supplying doses for Filipinos.

Actual delivery and use will depend on details agreed upon in supply deals and whether the vaccine is granted emergency use authorization from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.

As the main person in charge of vaccine negotiations for the Philippines, Galvez said supply deals were scheduled to be signed by the end of February. All contracts for vaccines were expected to be finalized by midIn terms of preparations for the actual deployment of vaccines on the ground, various local government units (LGUs) have been running simulation exercises to rehearse their plans for storing, transporting, and distributing vaccines in their communities.

The Department of Health, along with task force officials, approved the vaccines plans of several LGUs in Metro Manila, with more expected to be cleared in the coming weeks.