Why Singapore beat Philippines in Covid-19 vaccine delivery

  MANILA – The Philippines could have gotten delivery of 10 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine ahead of Singapore had it not been for the inaction of a top official, a senator said. “They could have secured the delivery of 10 million Pfizer vaccines as early as January next year, way ahead of Singapore, but for the indifference of Secretary Duque who failed to work on the necessary documentary requirement namely, the Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement as he should have done,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said in a message to reporters. “As we now know, Singapore has the vaccines and we don’t,” the senator said, adding that Pfizer’s representative “was even following up on the submission of such documents”. Lacson said he was able to talk to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez about the official who “dropped the ball” on the Pfizer vaccine deal. He said that Romualdez arranged for a negotiation between Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which would have allowed the Philippines to receive the vaccines as early as January 2021. The lawmaker said that Duque “missed the bus the first time” in finalizing the deal. “The more important question is, how many lives would be saved between January and when (if at all) the vaccines may be made available again to Filipinos,” Lacson said. In an earlier forum, Duque said negotiations with Pfizer “are ongoing”. The health secretary said his department is still reviewing conditions and provisions in the confidentiality non-disclosure agreement of Pfizer. CAM/Expat Media   ALSO READ FDA investigates allergic reactions to Pfizer coronavirus vaccine
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