The Philippine government, through the Department of Health (DOH), received on Saturday night the donated bivalent vaccines from the Lithuanian government.

More than 390,000 doses of vaccines arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, the DOH said.

"As soon as the vaccines arrive, these will be facilitated for transport to different regions and operating units for implementation and rollout," the DOH earlier said.

The DOH said the bivalent jabs are set to be used as third booster shots for healthcare workers and senior citizens. The bivalent vaccines are for use against persons infected with the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 and subvariants.

Lithuania offered the vaccines to the Philippines in 2022. The vaccines were supposed to arrive in May but were held up by logistics issues.

Among the DOH officials present in receiving the vaccines were Management Services Team (MST) Assistant Secretary Leonita Gorgolon, along with other officials from different DOH offices.

Also in attendance were the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania, Julia Netta Vildzius Peña, and the Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union to the Philippines, Ana-Isabel Sanchez-Ruiz.

From the Philippine government, representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) were also present during the ceremony.

The negotiation for the vaccines started as early as August 2022 and was finally offered by the Lithuanian Government last January 2023.

Until then, the Philippine government, with the support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expedited the processes and issuance of permits for the arrival of the vaccines.

“It is with great pleasure that we have received such generous donations from the Lithuanian Government and our sincerest gratitude to our partner agencies for being one with the DOH in seeing that within our reach is a bountiful future, one that is most achievable starting with ensuring that we have sufficient protection against the COVID-19 virus,'' said the DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire.

''We urge everyone to get the opportunity to gain longer and stronger protection by getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Together, let us move towards a healthier Pilipinas,” she said. DMS