Tag: Russia

COVID-19 Crisis: Gamaleya Center’s preliminary study shows Sputnik vaccines are effective against Omicron variant

COVID-19 Crisis: Gamaleya Center’s preliminary study shows Sputnik vaccines are effective against Omicron variant

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Have you been inoculated with the vaccine of Sputnik V or Sputnik Light before? In case you missed the news, the people behind the Russian vaccines made some profound announcements in relation to the Omicron variant which continues to infect a lot of people in many parts of the world (note: a 3rd Omicron case has just been confirmed here in the Philippines). Also revealed were comparisons with other brands of COVID-19 vaccines.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the first of two excerpts from the official press release published on the Sputnik Vaccine website. Some parts in boldface…

Moscow, December 17, 2021 – A preliminary laboratory study conducted by the Gamaleya Center has demonstrated that the Sputnik V vaccine and the one-shot Sputnik Light booster (based on human adenovirus serotype 26, the first component of Sputnik V) are effective against Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of COVID, providing for better protection when compared to other vaccines.

Heterologous boosting with Sputnik Light is the solution to increase other vaccines’ efficacy, including against Omicron, and extend the booster protection period.

Sputnik Light as a booster significantly increases virus neutralizing activity against Omicron based on sera 2-3 months after revaccination and is a universal booster to other vaccines inducing stronger antibody and T-cell response.

Efficacy of mRNA vaccines has proven to be waning, demonstrated by a number of scientific publications. A Swedish study in The Lancet journal [4] has shown that Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy against Delta is falling to 47% after 4 months, to 29% after 6 months and to 23% after 7 months. The recent study in US among 65+ years olds demonstrated the decrease in mRNA vaccine effectiveness accelerating against Delta after month 4, reaching a low of approximately 20% in months 5 through 7 [5].

Recognizing the waning efficacy of mRNA vaccines, EU, UK, Greece, South Korea and other countries have recommended reducing the boosting period from 6 to 3 months.

Sputnik Light booster is recommended to strengthen efficacy of vaccines against Omicron. Boosting by Sputnik Light as well as heterologous boosting can strengthen and lengthen the quickly waning efficacy of many vaccines in light of combined Delta and Omicron challenge.

Sputnik Light has already been registered in more than 20 countries as a standalone vaccine and a universal booster to other vaccines helping to increase their efficacy (including in Argentina, UAE, Bahrain, Philippines, and San Marino). Sputnik V has been authorized in 71 countries with total population of over 4 billion people.

Sputnik Light has already shown strong results used as a booster in mix & match trials in Argentina. A combination of Sputnik Light with vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna and Cansino, conducted in 5 provinces (City and Province of Buenos Aires, as well as Córdoba, La Rioja and San Luis) has demonstrated that Sputnik Light induces stronger antibody and T-cell response as compared to homologous regimen (two shots of the same vaccine). Each “vaccine cocktail” combination with Sputnik Light provided higher antibody titer on the 14th day after administering a second dose when compared to original homogenous (same vaccine as first and second dose) regimens of each of the vaccines.

Authors of a study in Argentina have noted that protection against coronavirus remains stable over at least 4 months following vaccination with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine as a consequence of antibody maturation, resulting in improved potency of antibodies to viral escape mutations. The study results were summarized in an article at https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.22.21262186v1

Sputnik Light efficacy data:

  • Sputnik Light has been proven to be safe and highly effective by real-world vaccination data. In particular, data from the Ministry of Health of Buenos Aires (Argentina) has demonstrated standalone efficacy of Sputnik Light between 78.6-83.7% among the elderly (over 40,000 people of 60-79 years old), which is higher than that of many two-dose vaccines.
  • Findings by the Gamaleya Center based on data collected in Moscow have demonstrated Sputnik Light vaccine administered standalone has 70% efficacy against infection from the Delta variant of coronavirus during the first three months after vaccination. The vaccine is 75% effective among subjects under the age of 60. Sputnik V and Sputnik Light are based on a safe and effective human adenoviral vector platform and have not been associated with rare serious adverse events following vaccination, such as myocarditis or pericarditis.

Take note that this is not the first time that the group behind Sputnik V and Sputnik Light claimed their current vaccines are effective against the Omicron variant. Regardless, they went ahead developing a new and upcoming version of the Sputnik vaccine with Omicron in mind.

Going back to the above press release excerpt, the findings (conducted by other studies done by different research groups) exposed the weakness of mRNA vaccines particularly on efficacy against the Delta variant. If mRNA vaccines really cannot protect the vaccinated people from the Delta variant, how can they protect them from the much more contagious Omicron variant?

And now for the other details from the Sputnik Vaccine press release posted in the other excerpt below. Some parts are in bold face. Please read closely…

  • The Gamaleya Center’s recent preliminary laboratory study shows that Sputnik V demonstrates high virus neutralizing activity (VNA) against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant and is expected to provide strong defense against severe disease and hospitalization.
  • Sputnik V has demonstrated 3-7x less of a reduction in virus neutralizing activity against Omicron as compared to data from other vaccine producers: 11.8 times decrease of VNA for Sputnik V in contrast with 41 times decrease for Pfizer-BioNTech (according to the study led by scientists from Africa Health Research Institute published on Dec 7, 2021 [1]) and 49-84 times decrease for Moderna (according to the study published by research group from scientific institutes including Vaccine Research Center on Dec 15, 2021 [2]). So far, Sputnik V is showing the best virus neutralization results against Omicron in comparison with other vaccines.
  • The study was conducted using sera with a longer period after vaccination (more than 6 months after vaccination) as an indicator of Sputnik V’s long-lasing protection, in contrast with short studied periods for other vaccines producers (12-27 days for Pfizer-BioNTech and 28 days for Moderna).
  • Sputnik V elicits strong and long-lasting T-cell response, and as 80% of epitopes in the spike protein are not affected by the mutations in the Omicron variant, Sputnik V is expected to provide long-lasting protection against severe disease by Omicron. Sputnik V’s long-lasting T-cell immunity contributes to 80% efficacy against Delta on months 6-8 compared with efficacy of less than 29% demonstrated by certain mRNA vaccines after 6 months.
  • Sputnik Light as a booster significantly increases virus neutralizing activity against Omicron based on sera 2-3 months after revaccination. Virus neutralizing activity against Omicron 2-3 months after a Sputnik Light booster in this preliminary laboratory study is higher than VNA against the wild-type virus 6 months after Sputnik V vaccination. Based on these data the expected efficacy of Sputnik V with Sputnik Light booster against Omicron infection could be more than 80%, as Sputnik V showed efficacy of more than 80% against wild-type virus 6 month after vaccination.
  • 100% of individuals revaccinated with Sputnik Light as a booster developed neutralizing antibodies against Omicron and demonstrated their high level 2-3 months after the revaccination in contrast with only 25% of Pfizer booster recipients showing detectable level of neutralizing antibodies 3 month after vaccination (as demonstrated in the study published by research group from scientific institutes including Institute for Medical Virology (Frankfurt) on Dec 13, 2021 [3]).
  • Sputnik Light booster is expected to provide strong protection against infection, severe disease and hospitalization by Omicron. Sputnik Light booster is recommended to strengthen efficacy of vaccines against Omicron. Boosting by Sputnik Light can strengthen and lengthen the quickly waning efficacy of many vaccines in light of combined Delta and Omicron challenge. Sputnik Light is a universal booster to other vaccines, including Sputnik V. In Argentina, a combination of Sputnik Light with other vaccines has demonstrated its effectiveness as a universal booster inducing stronger antibody and T-cell response compared to a two-shots homologous regimen.
  • Sputnik V and Sputnik Light were developed on the basis of a safe and well-studied over 30 years technology and have not been associated with rare serious side effects as myocarditis or pericarditis.
    • The highest safety and efficacy of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light was demonstrated in more than 30 studies and real-world data publications from more than 10 countries.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this latest announcement by the team behind the Sputnik vaccines? Do all the above details convince you to get a Sputnik vaccine as your first dose or as your booster shot? Has the Omicron variant infected people there in your local community?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: According to two studies, Omicron variant causes less severe symptoms while being more resistant to Pfizer’s vaccine

COVID-19 Crisis: According to two studies, Omicron variant causes less severe symptoms while being more resistant to Pfizer’s vaccine

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News reports about the Omicron variant continue to scare people and their respective authorities around the world. To cut through all the noise and fear made by the secular liberal media outlets and their Leftist activists working as journalists, it’s time we pay attention to specific details about the Omicron variant with regards to infection and reaction towards the COVID-19 vaccine of Pfizer, as reported by CBN News.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the statement published by CBN News. Some parts in boldface…

The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus appears to cause less severe symptoms than earlier variants of COVID-19, but it’s also more resistant to the Pfizer vaccine, according to two new studies.

A Center for Disease Control study (CDC), published Friday, looked at 43 people with the confirmed strain.

The five-page report shows the most common symptoms are cough, fatigue, congestion, or runny nose lasting around three days.

More than 58% of those surveyed were young people between 18 and 39 years old. And 79% of those infected with the variant were vaccinated, including 14 people who had received a booster dose. In addition, 16% had been infected with COVID-19 before.

Only one person who was vaccinated was hospitalized.

Findings from a much larger study by Discovery Health revealed the Pfizer vaccine is less responsive to the Omicron variant.

Discovery Health is South Africa’s largest health insurance provider and the group looked at 78,000 cases of this particular variant between Nov. 15 and Dec. 7.

According to study findings, the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination provides 70% protection against hospitalization from Omicron but only 33% protection against a COVID-19 infection from this highly contagious variant.

Ryan Noach, Discovery Health’s chief executive, said the variant is more transmissible despite lower hospitalization rates.

“The omicron-driven fourth wave has a significantly steeper trajectory of new infections relative to prior waves,” he said in a statement. “National data show an exponential increase in both new infections and test positivity rates during the first three weeks of this wave, indicating a highly transmissible variant with rapid community spread of infection.”

“What is encouraging at this stage is a flatter trajectory of hospital admissions indicating likely lower severity of this wave,” he told a news briefing later.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky described their agency’s smaller study as a starting point.

“I know we all remain concerned about where we are in the pandemic both with delta and now with the omicron variant,” she said during the White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing. “CDC has been actively addressing and evaluating the omicron variant and working with state and local jurisdictions to understand its spread.”

As seen in the above report, the two separate studies revealed key aspects of the Omicron variant: it has caused mild symptoms and among the forty-three people who got infected by the variant, one patient (described as vaccinated although it’s not clear as to how many doses were injected) got hospitalized. The other finding about Pfizer’s vaccine being less responsive to Omicron is more concerning as it is a fact that many millions of people around the world got vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech. In a somewhat related move, Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 pill could work against Omicron.

Going back to vaccines, the team behind Sputnik vaccines of Russia declared their current vaccines are effective against all variants, that they will prove to be effective against the Omicron variant, and they went ahead developing a new version of their vaccine with Omicron in mind. Here in the Philippines, the Omicron variant has been detected for the first time. Prior to the confirmation of the first two Omicron cases, the daily average of new COVID-19 infections remained in the hundreds and only 235 new cases were counted on December 14, which is the lowest count since May 2020. The Philippines also has over 40 million people fully vaccinated and a lot more people are able to move around in public and support the many struggling businesses as community restrictions have been eased. As of this writing, it remains to be seen if the Omicron variant will somehow cause a spike in the daily average count of new COVID-19 cases.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about these newest developments related to the Omicron variant? If you were injected with a Pfizer-made vaccine, what can you say about the recent study that found the said vaccine to be less responsive to the Omicron variant? What is the one aspect about Omicron that concerns you the most right now?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Cover photo used in this article was sourced from CBN News.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: Sputnik vaccines versus Omicron

COVID-19 Crisis: Sputnik vaccines versus Omicron

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Have you been injected with a Sputnik vaccine? Are all the rabid news reports about the Omicron variant making you feel uncomfortable? Here is something that you should focus on temporarily – an official statement was recently released claiming that Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines are effective against all variants of SRAC-Cov-2 and they will prove effective in neutralizing the Omicron variant. As if that was not enough, a new version of the Sputnik vaccine is already being developed with Omicron in mind.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the statement published by SputnikVaccine.com. Some parts in boldface…

The Russian Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines have proven to be highly effective against all variants of SARC-Cov-2 known to date. This has been demonstrated by an article published in Vaccines medical journal and international real-world data from numerous countries:

A recent study in Hungary demonstrated Sputnik V vaccine had the highest (98%) efficacy in preventing COVID-related mortality and 85.7% efficacy against coronavirus infection among five vaccines (Sputnik V, Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm) used in the country between January-June 2021. Based on this data, the share of deaths from COVID in the unvaccinated population was 130 times higher than among those vaccinated with Sputnik V in the same period.

According to data from San Marino, Sputnik V is 80% effective against coronavirus infection from 6th to 8th months after administering the second dose, which is much higher than published efficacy of mRNA vaccines of less than 30% after 6 months.

The Sputnik vaccine’s efficacy is based on the heterogeneous boosting approach using two different vectors for two shots, pioneered by the Gamaleya Institute, and a proven adenoviral vector platform, which triggers a broader immune response as compared to mRNA vaccines.

The Gamaleya Institute believes both Sputnik V and Sputnik Light will neutralize the latest Omicron variant and has started the necessary studies.

Nonetheless the Gamaleya Institute, based on existing protocols of immediately developing vaccine versions for variants of concern, has already begun developing the new version of Sputnik vaccine adapted to Omicron. In an unlikely case such modification is needed, the new Sputnik Omicron version can be ready for mass-scale production in 45 days. Several hundred million Sputnik Omicron boosters can be provided to international markets already by Feb 20, 2022 with over 3 billion doses available in 2022.

That was a pretty bold statement there. Sputnik vaccines’ efficacies (preventing COVID-19  mortality and going against coronavirus infections) was compared with four other established brands of COVID-19 vaccines.

With regards to Omicron, there was confidence expressed that the two existing Sputnik vaccines will neutralize the new variant. That sounds great but I would love to see first real test results to prove that. Regardless, Gamaleya proceeded already to develop a newer version of Sputnik vaccine with Omicron in mind and they seem confident they can mass produce it and start releasing it in early 2022. As seen in the above statement, the mass production and release of a Sputnik Omicron vaccine would commence in the unlikely case they need to modify the Sputnik vaccine.

If the current Sputnik vaccines prove to be capable of neutralizing the Omicron variant, then no such production-release scheme of a modified vaccine will be needed. Gamaleya will then have to keep mass producing and sending out doses of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light worldwide. Already millions of doses of Sputnik V have arrived here in the Philippines and the national government plans to procure more of the single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine.

For added insight, watch these related news videos below…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this official statement about Sputnik vaccines and the Omicron variant? If you were fully vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine, how long has it been since your 2nd dose? Is your local government already releasing booster shots? Are you eager to find out if your local government will use Sputnik vaccine as your booster shot? Do you believe that Gamaleya’s statement that the two current Sputnik vaccines will really neutralize the Omicron variant?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Millions of Sputnik V vaccine doses plus 5,000 Sputnik Light vaccine doses in the Philippines

COVID-19 Crisis: Millions of Sputnik V vaccine doses plus 5,000 Sputnik Light vaccine doses in the Philippines

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Last week, a few million brand new doses of Sputnik V vaccines arrived here in the Philippines and at the same time, the single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine also arrived according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report.

You must be wondering what the differences between Sputnik V and Sputnik Light are. To understand things better, posted are excerpts about the two vaccines from SputnikVaccine.com for your reference. Some parts in boldface…

About Sputnik V

Sputnik V is the world’s first registered vaccine based on a well-studied human adenovirus vector platform. It has been approved for use in 71 countries with a total population of 4 billion people.

The vaccine is named after the first Soviet space satellite. The launch of Sputnik-1 in 1957 reinvigorated space research around the world, creating a so called “Sputnik moment” for the global community.

The vaccine’s efficacy is 97.6%, based on the analysis of data on the incidence of coronavirus among Russians vaccinated with both vaccine components between December 5, 2020 and March 31, 2021.

Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for the vaccine were completed on August 1, 2020. The Phase 3 clinical trial results were published in Russia in the Lancet magazine on February 2, 2021. Phase 3 clinical trials of Sputnik V have also been successful in the UAE, India, Venezuela and Belarus.

The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a proven well-studied human adenovirus vector platform; these vectors cause the common cold and have plagued humanity for millennia.

Sputnik V was the first coronavirus vaccine to use a heterogeneous boosting approach based on 2 different vectors for 2 vaccine shots. This approach generates a more sustainable immunity compared to vaccines that use the same delivery mechanism for both shots.

The safety, efficacy and lack of long-term adverse effects of adenovirus vaccines have been proven in more than 250 clinical trials over two decades.

Sputnik V does not cause severe allergies.

A storage temperature of +2…+8 °C allows the vaccine to be stored in a regular refrigerator without the need to invest in additional cold chain infrastructure.

Sputnik V is effective against new strains of coronavirus, according to a study by the Gamaleya Research Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology published in the leading international magazine Vaccines.

The vaccine produces protective neutralising antibody titres against new strains, including Alpha B.1.1.7 (first identified in the UK), Beta B.1.351 (first identified in South Africa), Gamma P.1 (first identified in Brazil), Delta B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3 (first identified in India) and variants B.1.1.141 and B.1.1.317 with mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) identified in Moscow.

About Sputnik Light

Sputnik Light is the first component (recombinant human adenovirus serotype number 26 (rAd26)) of Sputnik V – the world’s first registered vaccine against coronavirus.

The Sputnik Light vaccine, like Sputnik V, is based on a proven well-studied human adenovirus vector platform; these vectors cause the common cold and have peacefully coexisted with humanity for millenia.

Safety of Sputnik Light, as the first component of Sputnik V, was confirmed by real-world data from UAE, Bahrain, Argentina, Russia, Mexico, Serbia, San Marino, Philippines, Libya, Paraguay, Hungary, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

Sputnik Light, the first component of Sputnik V, is a safe and approved stand-alone one-shot vaccine. 80% proven efficacy against infection, higher than that of most two-shot vaccines.

Sputnik Light is also a leading booster shot for people previously infected with COVID-19 (and) for revaccinations after Sputnik V or other vaccines.

Sputnik Light as a stand-alone vaccine is highly effective against Delta and other mutations: 70% efficacy against infection by Delta, over 75% efficacy in the age group below 60. Efficacy against hospitalization and severe disease is even higher. Sputnik Light efficacy as a booster will be close to that of two shots of Sputnik V against Delta.

Sputnik Light has a long-lasting protection, which even increases over 4-6 months following the vaccination. Many other vaccines showed dramatic decrease in efficacy against Delta variant to below 50% within the same time period.

Were you about to absorb all the details in the above excerpts? Whatever you think of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light, I recommend you read their respective full articles on the official Sputnik Vaccine website.

And now we can proceed on the recent news about the two Russian vaccines and the Philippines. To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA report. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines plans to procure more of the one-shot Sputnik Light anti-coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine after receiving its first batch, donated by Russia, on Friday.

A total of 5,000 doses of the Sputnik Light vaccine arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2, along with the 2,805,000 doses (1,402,500 doses each of Components I and II) of Sputnik V shots, which were procured by the Philippine government.

National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said negotiations are underway for the procurement of at least 10 million more doses of Sputnik Light.

“We are confident that these talks would yield positive results as we diversify our vaccine portfolio and scale up our vaccine throughput and achieve herd immunity by the first quarter of 2022,” Galvez said in an interview. “We are very happy that we will be renegotiating again for Sputnik Light.”

He said the government would allocate the first batch of the one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which has the lowest vaccination rate among the 17 regions, with about 320,000 fully inoculated out of the 2.9 million target population.

“Ibigay muna natin sa mga hindi pa nakakakuha ng (Let’s give these to those who have yet to get) protection. I believe it is more useful na gamitin itong (to use these) as first dose so we can at least protect na agad ‘yung (right away the) first 5,000,” Galvez said.

He said the latest delivery of 2.8 million doses of Sputnik V completes the government’s procurement contract with the Russian Direct Investment Fund for the supply of 10 million doses.

“The completion of this contract is a testament to the robust relationship between our countries. Moreover, it demonstrates Russia’s strong commitment to helping provide greater vaccine accessibility to all nations, including the Philippines,” Galvez said. “We will be able to protect five million more Filipinos from the fatal effect of the Covid-19 virus and continue to bring down our active caseload and save more lives.”

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Sputnik Light vaccine may be more effective as a booster shot.

“Mukhang maganda for booster iyong Sputnik Light. Mas mahaba daw ang (The Sputnik Light may be better used for booster shots. It gives longer) protection of about eight months beyond,” Duque said in another interview. “We’re going to have our vaccine expert panel review the documents.”

Galvez echoed Duque’s statements, saying the Sputnik Light could boost the primary doses that are adenoviral vector-based vaccines, such as AstraZeneca and the similar single-dose Janssen.

“There are many scholars in Jordan saying the Sputnik Light is good. And also, this fits with our heterologous or mix and match of boosters,” he said.

The Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization of the following vaccine brands to include an additional shot – Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, and Sputnik Light.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this new development? If you have been vaccinated with Sputnik V, how long has it been since your last shot? If you are fully vaccinated already, regardless of vaccine brands, would you be willing to accept a Sputnik vaccine as your booster shot?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: More Sputnik V vaccines coming to the Philippines

COVID-19 Crisis: More Sputnik V vaccines coming to the Philippines

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Gradually, millions in additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines are coming into the Philippines and around ten million doses are to be administered this month. Along the way, Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V has been used to immunize thousands of Filipinos (check out the Sputnik V launch in Muntinlupa City and Parañaque City). As of May 30, 2021, a grand total of 80,000 doses of Sputnik V has arrived in the Philippines.

But there is more! According to an article published by Philippine News Agency (PNA), Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that further supplies of Sputnik V vaccine doses will keep coming to the Philippines.

To put things in perspective, posted blow is an excerpt from the PNA’s article. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines can expect more Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine doses in the coming months after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to increase the volume of deliveries.

According to a statement from the Office of the President (OP), Putin made this commitment in a telesummit with President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday.

“President Putin said that Russia will increase the volume of deliveries of Sputnik V vaccines to the Philippines,” the OP statement read.

Duterte, for his part, thanked Putin for making Sputnik V available to the Philippines and reiterated the importance of the expeditious delivery of ordered vaccines.

On May 30, the Philippines received 50,000 more doses of the Sputnik V vaccines.

The country has so far received a total of 80,000 Sputnik V doses, including the latest shipment.

In relation to the above details, check out this news video by GMA Network.

For the newcomers reading this, Sputnik V is an adenovirus viral vector vaccine for COVID-19 developed by Russia-based Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. When the first batch of the Russian vaccines arrived in early May, the City of Muntinlupa was one of the first cities to receive them. In connection to the latest batch that arrived from Russia, Sputnik V has finally made its way to the island province of Cebu. I should state that President Putin’s vow to deliver more of his nation’s vaccines into the Philippines is significant and the results will be seen in the months to come.

To learn about Sputnik V, watch these two videos…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Does this news about Sputnik V boost your confidence with vaccines for COVID-19? How crucial is President Putin’s vow (on delivering more Sputnik V vaccines to the Philippines) considering the ongoing efforts of vaccination in the Philippines? Were you vaccinated with the Russian vaccine?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: 10 million vaccine doses to be administered in the Philippines this June

COVID-19 Crisis: 10 million vaccine doses to be administered in the Philippines this June

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As the old say goes – the more, the better! In the case of this ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the Philippines needs all the vaccines it can get! A new development is brewing in relation to this.

Yesterday, it was announced through the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that ten million vaccines doses are being eyed by the national vaccination program as additional vaccines will arrive in this new month of June. In addition, the newest supply of COVID-19 vaccine from Russia called Sputnik V just arrived.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA’s article. Some parts in boldface…

The national vaccination program is eyeing to reach 10 million doses by the middle of the year as the bulk of Sputnik, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca orders arrive within June.

On June 6, one million doses of China’s Sinovac are expected while 1.3 million and 900,000 US-made Pfizer jabs are arriving on June 7 and 11, respectively.

Moderna vaccines, also from the US, are scheduled for delivery on June 21.

“We are very thankful that we have already breached the five-million figure and this June, mapapabilis tayo (we will speed up). We are aiming to breach another five by the end of this month,” said National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Sunday night during the arrival of 50,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccines at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“There will also be another batch from the COVAX facility this month most likely,” he added.

The Sputnik V jabs were taken to the PharmaServ cold storage in Marikina City.

So far, the country has received 80,000 doses of the Russian vaccines after the first two tranches of 15,000 doses each on May 1 and 12. Another shipment will arrive within 21 days.

Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov, who also welcomed the delivery, said the occasion further strengthened cooperation between the two nations in fighting the pandemic.

“This is timely for the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Russia. It is important for us to help the Filipino people. [We hope to] contribute to the strength in our relationship,” he said in an interview.

Last week, Russian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Igor Morgulov said the vaccine allotment is one of the prominent areas for cooperation between the Philippines and Russia and expressed hope that more batches of the jabs could be delivered in the next months.

Indeed, more of the COVID-19 vaccines are coming in gradually here in the Philippines. Any new supply that arrives is welcome because there simply are not enough to vaccinate local citizens with the required two doses. And then there are also other challenges such as preserving the delicate vaccines and delivering them by the bulk to different cities, towns and barangays.

Meanwhile, the City of Muntinlupa confirmed that as of May 27, 2021, 46,015 residents have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, of which 16,989 have received their second dose. For those inoculated with their first dose, 22,758 received Sinovac, 16,771 were inoculated with AstraZeneca, 2,979 with Gamaleya’s Sputnik V, and 3,507 with Pfizer-BioNTech.

Muntinlupa City residents are urged to register online in the city’s COVID-19 Vaccination Registration System via www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac to avoid crowding in vaccination areas.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you were vaccinated already, how many doses were you inject with right now? What was the brand of vaccine you got injected with? Did you experience any tremendous chaos or disorganization when you lined up to get vaccinated at the local vaccination site?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: GMA News video shows patients frustrated during the launch of Sputnik V in Parañaque

COVID-19 Crisis: GMA News video shows patients frustrated during the launch of Sputnik V in Parañaque

carlocarrasco

To all the readers based in Parañaque City…were you able to avail of the free COVID-19 vaccine in your city lately? If you were vaccinated successfully, what type of vaccine was used on you? How long did you wait in line?

The reason why I’m asking this is because GMA Network published news videos that showed some people who waited long in line only to end up not getting vaccinated at a mall in the city the same day Sputnik V debuted there.

Before exploring the GMA News video, let’s put things in perspective that the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) published on May 5, 2021 a press release by the National Task Force against COVID-19 that stated that Parañaque City displayed logistical readiness related to the rollout of Sputnik V vaccines. It should be noted that vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. attended the Sputnik V launch in the said city.

To be clear, here are two excerpts from the PIA-published press release…

Excerpt 1

This city demonstrated its capability to efficiently receive and handle the administration of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines during a trial run held here on Tuesday, May 4, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez cited the unique characteristics of the Sputnik V vaccines, as he assured the national government and his people that the city is capable of handling the vaccines.

“Ito pong Sputnik V, special po ang logistics nito, kasi kailangan po natin dito at least negative 18 degrees centigrade ang storage. Ang City of Parañaque, through our City Health Office ay prepared na prepared sa paghandle nitong Sputnik V,” Olivarez said.

Excerpt 2

For his part, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., chief Implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 and vaccine czar thanked the City of Parañaque for agreeing to be one of the host cities for the pilot rollout of the Sputnik V vaccines.

“Through this pilot test we are conducting today, we will be able to see and address possible challenges that may arise before we begin to roll out the 485,000 Sputnik V doses that are expected to arrive this week,” Galvez said.

By reading the entire press release at PIA’s website, you would end up believing that things went well in Parañaque City and the launch of Sputnik V. What was completely missing in the press release were long lines and frustration (for those who waited so long and ended up empty handed) at the same venue on the same day as the Sputnik V rollout in Parañaque. Watch GMA Network’s news video below titled “Tempers flare at Parañaque COVID-19 vaccination site as not everyone receives jabs”

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about GMA Network’s news video on Parañaque and its Sputnik V launch? Are the organizers in Parañaque taking proper care of its citizens who are trying to get vaccinated for COVID-19? Is the City Government of Parañaque relying on media gimmicks (examples: fancy speeches, lots of show-off photography, etc.) while trying to serve as many citizens to the best of its abilities? Whether you got vaccinated or not, how many hours did you spend waiting in line in your city? How many vaccination sites are available in Parañaque right now that you know? Do you believe that Parañaque can achieve its goal of vaccinating 5,000 people per day?

Are you one of the frustrated people who appeared in GMA’s news video who waited so long in line only to end up without getting vaccinated?

Were the vaccine program organizers of Parañaque City transparent and took good care of you when you lined up?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Up to 7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine coming to the Philippines this month

COVID-19 Crisis: Up to 7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine coming to the Philippines this month

carlocarrasco

Are you feeling uneasy or anxious about the fact that the millions of vaccines for COVID-19 (China Virus) secured for the Philippines could not come in fast enough? You are not alone.

Are the daily reports of new COVID-19 cases released by the Department of Health (DOH) scaring you? You are not alone as I know someone who is extremely religious yet panicky who gets affected by such reports. Not even the good news of the launch of Sputnik V in the Philippines (check out the Muntinlupa City launch) could lift up that same person’s outlook.

Anyway, the latest COVID-19 vaccine update regarding the Philippines is this…the nation will start receiving the bulk of COVID-19 vaccine composed of up to seven million doses within this month. This was according to vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reports…

“Ang maganda po dito ‘yong delivery natin ng ano ng May, baka po from 4 million madadagdagan po tayo ng 7 million. Malaki po ‘yon, Mr. President, kasi ang dadagdag po dito ‘yong COVAX mukhang makakapag-deliver na po ng Pfizer at saka ng AstraZeneca (The good news is that, the delivery this May may increase from 4 million doses up to 7 million doses. That’s a huge volume, Mr. President, because the COVAX facility may also be delivering Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines),” Galvez told President Rodrigo Duterte in a Cabinet meeting Wednesday night.

Galvez assured that enough doses dedicated for the vaccinees’ second shots would arrive on time.

“‘Yong second dose wala na po tayong problema. Mayroon po tayong makukuha ngayong May more or less baka mga 1 million or 2 million na AstraZeneca. Iyong definite date lang po ang ina-ano po natin. So matutuwa na po ‘yong mga nakapag-first dose dahil kasi mayroon pong padating na COVAX na AstraZeneca (We don’t have a problem with the second dose. We might be having more or less 1 million or 2 million doses of AstraZeneca this May. We are just working on the definite dates so we are glad because the AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX Facility will be delivered),” he said.

As of May 4, a total of 2,065,235 Filipinos have been vaccinated with at least one dose against Covid-19, with 320,586 persons fully vaccinated.

The bulk of the vaccines will be arriving in June, allowing the government to begin the inoculation of the general populace, Galvez added.

“So pataas po nang pataas ang volume po, Mr. President. Talagang ang medyo nahirapan lang po tayo noong March at saka April. Pero ngayong May medyo mayroon pong bubuhos sa atin (We will be receiving an increased volume of vaccines, we really had hard times during March and April, but this May, more vaccines will be arriving),” he said.

An estimated 20-30 percent of the country’s healthcare workers have yet to be vaccinated, according to Galvez, as they opted to wait for the arrival of other brands of Covid-19 vaccines.

Despite negative reports, Galvez said the public’s acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccines has significantly increased, noting that more Filipinos wanted to get immunized.

To date, data from Our World in Data show that the Philippines is fourth among Southeast Asian nations with the most number of vaccine doses administered.

The report ended stating that as more vaccines arrive, Galvez described as “very doable” is the government’s goal to vaccinate half-a-million people daily.

In closing this, let me ask you readers…do you believe the updates from Galvez? How is the local COVID-19 vaccinating program doing there in your local area? Were you vaccinated already?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City officially starts vaccinating its residents with Sputnik V, MMDA lauds strong public-private partnership

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City officially starts vaccinating its residents with Sputnik V, MMDA lauds strong public-private partnership

carlocarrasco

The City Government of Muntinlupa officially launched the ceremonial roll-out of Sputnik V Gam-COVID-Vac vaccines for senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, and other frontline workers from specific groups yesterday morning.

The ceremonial roll-out was held at Ospital ng Muntinlupa (OsMun) Field Tent and Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC) Tower 2 Rotunda Parking Space. At least 250 members of A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities) priority groups were set to receive their first dose of Sputnik V at OsMun, while 130 individuals from A2 and A3 priority groups were prepared for inoculation at AHMC.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (right most), MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos (2nd from the right), Congressman Ruffy Biazon (3rd from the right) and other officials witness a patient get vaccinated with Sputnik V. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

Only the pre-registered residents in the local COVID-19 Vaccination Registration System will be inoculated with Sputnik V in OsMun and AHMC. Residents will receive a message from the local health office for their schedule and no walk-ins will be accommodated in the vaccination areas in OsMun and AHMC. Muntinlupa residents are encouraged to register themselves for vaccination via www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac.

MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos lauded the City Government’s preparedness as well as its strong partnership with the private sector for the local vaccination program. Abalos recognized the role of Muntinlupa’s partnership with AHMC in encouraging more people to get inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines.

Special Envoy to the Russian Federation Olivia Limpe-Aw said Muntinlupa met the stringent storage and handling requirements to be selected as one of the pilot sites for the roll-out of Sputnik V.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi expresses his gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte for the allocation of Sputnik V to Muntinlupa and being selected as one of the few Metro Manila cities to be the pilot sites for the roll-out of the Russia-made vaccine.

“This ceremonial roll-out signifies a step closer in returning to our normal lives. We are grateful to the national government for donating additional vaccines to our city as this will help reach our target of achieving herd immunity as soon as possible. I encourage all Muntinlupeños to avail the vaccination program of the government because this is a vital step in curbing the pandemic,” says Fresnedi.

Other officials attending the ceremony include Congressman Ruffy Biazon, WHO Representative Dr. Rowena Capistrano, MMDA Public Affairs Dir. Sharon Gentillan, Ospital ng Muntinlupa director Dr. Edwin Dimatatac, AHMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jose M. Acuin, CHO chief Dr. Juancho Bunyi, Muntinlupa City Council Committee on Health and Sanitation Coun. Allan Camilon, Coun. Ryan Bagatsing, and other local officials.

Muntinlupa received three thousand doses of Sputnik V on May 3 and are being stored in OsMun and AHMC’s -18 degrees Celsius temperature storage facilities. With the cold-chain management requirement of the vaccine, members of priority group in the city will be inoculated in OsMun and Asian Hospital. The vaccine is to be administered in two doses 3 weeks apart.

This past May 1, fifteen thousand doses of Sputnik V were delivered to the country by a Qatar Airways flight from Moscow via Doha. The initial doses will be divided among five cities in Metro Manila: Taguig, Manila, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, and Makati.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Sputnik V vaccine manufactured by Russian medical-research institute Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology last March 19, 2021.

Recently, the City Government opened its fourth major vaccination hub in Brgy. Sucat Covered Court last May 4. Other major vaccination hubs launched in the city include: Filinvest Alabang Steel Parking last April 30, SM Center Muntinlupa Open Parking Area, Brgy. Tunasan last April 27 and Ayala Malls South Park, Brgy. Alabang last April 24.

As of May 1, a total of 24,163 Muntinlupa residents were inoculated with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, of which 19,991 received Sinovac and 4,172 inoculated with AstraZeneca. While 843 residents from priority groups received their second dose.

Muntinlupa City has 11,513 confirmed cases with 9,924 recoveries, 1,288 active cases, 299 reported deaths, 169 suspect cases, and 980 probable cases as of May 4.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

I Love Israel: Direct Philippines-Israel flights before the end of 2021 in the works

I Love Israel: Direct Philippines-Israel flights before the end of 2021 in the works

carlocarrasco

Have you been dreaming of visiting the Holy Land or doing business in Tel Aviv in Israel? There is something positive in development right now and breakthroughs could happen before the year ends. This is because recently, Israel’s Ambassador Rafael Harpaz announced that the establishment of direct flights between the Philippines and Israel is being worked on with 2021 in mind (specifically before the end of the year). There is no timeline yet as to when will Philippines-Israel travel will resume but make no mistake that Israel is opening its borders to foreign tourists (who got vaccinated for COVID-19) starting May 23, 2021 which itself is connected with their successful vaccination program.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) article. Some parts in bold…

Direct flights between the Philippines and Israel before the end of the year are in the pipeline, Israeli Ambassador to Manila Rafael Harpaz said Friday.

“We would like very much for the Filipino tourists to be back to Israel. The Philippine Airlines already informed us that they are planning to start a direct flight to Israel towards the end of the year,” Harpaz told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.

There’s no timeline yet when tourism exchanges between the Philippines and Israel would resume, but he said the deployment of Filipino caregivers continues despite the pandemic.

“Actually, every day we see new caregivers because there is a demand. So they are flying to Israel and when they get there, they also get the vaccine immediately,” Harpaz said. “We don’t have a quota (on deployment) but it depends on the demand. Because our population is getting older and older, the demand is getting high. We also have from other countries but the demand is high for Filipino caregivers.”

In 2019 alone, about 35,000 Filipino tourists visited Israel, while more than 30,000 overseas Filipinos are working there as caregivers.

‘Tourism restart’

At present, there is no agreement between the Philippines and Israel for a travel bubble setup, but Harpaz said he is hopeful that the two nations’ tourism exchanges would soon resume.

He added that several Filipino tour operators are interested to bring travel groups once Israel fully reopens.

“They’re waiting. There’s so many tour operators in the Philippines who are eager to take groups to Israel because it’s a big tourist destination for Filipinos,” Harpaz said. “The Israelis are also eager. The businessmen are eager to return to the Philippines. They want to go to Banawe, Palawan, Siquijor, and all those wonderful places. Let’s hope that it will soon work out.”

Israel is opening up its borders to foreign tourists under a travel bubble setup, with the vaccinated population no longer required to undergo a long period of quarantine.

But for now, the vaccines that Israel recognizes for this arrangement are Pfizer and Moderna.

It has so far signed a travel bubble agreement with Cyprus and Greece.

“We are moving slowly with more countries because we want to have tourism back and business back,” he said.

As you already know, I strongly believe that the ties between my native Philippines and Israel are very essential. I really love it when Israelites and Filipinos are in harmony together, and the fact that Filipino caregivers and students were vaccinated for free in Israel is an example of that. Filipino caregivers have been known to be very helpful towards Israelites and there is a strong demand for more caregivers. Christians here in the Philippines, led by faith, love to visit the Holy Land and discover personally the places where Lord Jesus had been to.

Speaking of Philippines-Israel ties, Ambassador Harpaz also announced more good news for Filipinos struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Posted below is an excerpt from another Philippine News Agency article…

The Philippines can expect to be among the priority countries of Israel once the latter is able to transfer its excess vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Israel Ambassador to Manila Rafael Harpaz said Friday.

Harpaz explained that Israel, for the time being, could not transport its extra vaccine doses to any third country due to some legal issues in its contract with Pfizer.

“It has nothing to do with the Philippines. Israel, for the time being, was not able to give vaccines to a third country because we have a contract and there are limitations on giving it to a third party,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview on Friday.

Aside from Manila, more than 10 countries have also expressed interest in purchasing their excess vaccines, Harpaz said.

“It’s something we are looking generally in a favorable manner but it’s the legal issues that must be resolved first. But it’s one of the issues in the discussions and when the moment that there would be a green light to give (the vaccines) as assistance to third countries, the Philippines will certainly be among them,” he said.

“The Philippines is definitely a high priority for us once we’re capable of giving away the vaccines.“

Wow! Considering the current situation here in the Philippines, it’s nice to learn that our country is a high priority for Israel for potential donations of excess vaccines from their own stocks. The legal issues are blocking access. To be very clear, the Philippines secured many millions of COVID-19 vaccines but those stocks cannot come fast enough. Very recently, the cities of Muntinlupa and Parañaque became the first recipients of vaccines from Russia. How many exactly? THREE THOUSAND doses for each city.

In closing this, here are some Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure and for your insight.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673