Around 38,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through the World Health Organization (WHO)-COVAX facility arrived in the country on Sunday evening.

The 38,400 doses arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal 3 around 6:44pm.

The doses were personally received by National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr.

In an interview aired over state-run PTV4, Galvez said the reason for the delay of this batch of vaccines was due to the cargo limit from the previous delivery.

“The 525,600 vaccines promised (by WHO) are now completed. We now have 1.1 million doses for our health workers,” he said.

The Philippines recently received 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine donated by China.

"The Philippine government extends its deepest gratitude to the World Health Organization and Unicef for completing the delivery of the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX facility," he said.

Galvez said since this was only part of the first tranche of WHO donation, there was no need for President Rodrigo Duterte to personally witness the arrival of the additional vaccine.

He said areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases would be given priority in the allocation and distribution of the vaccines.

The AstraZeneca vaccine would be transported to Metropac storage facility in Marikina City.

The Philippines received the first batch of 487,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through COVAX facility on March 4.

Galvez earlier said the WHO promised to donate 4.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine until May. Ella Dionisio/DMS