THE Bureau of Customs-Port of NAIA and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) cleared the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, totaling 193,050 doses, which arrived via DHL Flight No. LD 457 from Denmark on May 10, 2021.
The shipment was welcomed by National Task Force (NTF) Deputy Chief Implementor Vivencio B. Dizon, DOST Sec. Fortunato Dela Pena, Office of the Cabinet Secretariat (OCS) Sec. Karlo Nograles, MMDA Chairman Benjamin Abalos, Usec. Robert Borje, Pfizer PH Country Manager Edilberto Reyes, DOH Usec. Leopoldo Vega, DOH Usec. Carolina Vidal-Taiño, DOF Usec. Mark Joven, Chargé d’Affaires John C. Law, WHO Rep. Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) PH Rep. Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, UN Rep. Gustavo Gonzales, and BOC-NAIA District Collector Carmelita Talusan.
The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine was developed in the United States and has been given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last January 14, 2021.
Prior to its arrival, the shipment was pre-cleared in the BOC NAIA One-Stop-Shop.
This is the 12th batch of Covid-19 vaccines cleared by the BOC, Talusan said, adding that thus far, the port had already cleared total of 7,764,050 doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
Previous shipments cleared include 5 million doses of Sinovac, 2,525,600 doses of AstraZeneca, and 15,000 doses of Sputnik V.