MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY
Recent good news on vaccines for COVID-19 brings us closer to ending the acute phase of this terrible pandemic. But the sense of collective relief must be accompanied by a healthy dose of reality.
While the scientific community awaits detailed data from leading vaccine developers, several questions remain. Notably, it is still unclear how long immunity would last and whether it will prevent people already infected from transmitting the virus to others. This means that mitigation measures－mask-wearing, social distancing, avoiding large crowds, and practicing good hygiene－will likely be necessary in the foreseeable future.
Experts are urging the public to continue following the precautionary measures for another reason. Even if the vaccine proves effective and is made available to the public today, getting it to everyone who needs it will not happen overnight.
The Philippine government is seeking to borrow more than $300 million that will be used to purchase vaccines for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), an official from the Asian Development (ADB) said on Monday.
“The Philippines can access $400 to $500 million lending for vaccine procurement. At the moment the government has requested approximately $325 million from the first component of the facility the Rapid Response Component and that’s dedicated for financing the procurement of vaccines,” said ADB Country Director for the Philippines Kelly Bird in a briefing.
“At the moment we are working closely with the government to carry out the technical background work and preparing the vaccine project,” he added.
China Daily Global / 2020-12 / 21 / Page012
We have vaccines, now comes the hard part By Patrick Osewe | China Daily Global | Updated: 2020-12-21 00:00 Recent good news on vaccines for COVID-19 brings us closer to ending the acute phase of this terrible pandemic. But the sense of collective relief must be accompanied by a healthy dose of reality. While the scientific community awaits detailed data from leading vaccine developers, several questions remain. Notably, it is still unclear how long immunity would last and whether it will prevent people already infected from transmitting the virus to others. This means that mitigation measures－mask-wearing, social distancing, avoiding large crowds, and practicing good hygiene－will likely be necessary in the foreseeable future.
By JON VIKTOR D. CABUENAS, GMA News
Published December 21, 2020 2:21pm The Philippines has requested to loan about $325 million or P15.627 billion from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance the procurement of vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). At a virtual briefing on Monday, ADB country director for the Philippines Kelly Bird said the loan falls within the $9-billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) member countries can tap for loan financing, of which the Philippines can avail of $400 million to $500 million. At the moment the government has requested approximately $325 million from the first component of the facility that s the rapid response component, Bird said in a press briefing with presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr.
Gov t seeks $325-M loan for vaccines bworldonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bworldonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.