The Philippines on Tuesday said it was ready to work with Russia in testing and producing a coronavirus vaccine being developed by Russian scientists.
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Russia hopes to start mass production of its vaccine in October, and has offered to supply the Philippines or to team up with local firms to manufacture it in the country.
“The Philippines stands ready to work with Russia on clinical trials, vaccine supply and production, and other areas deemed practicable by relevant Philippine and Russian agencies to address this global health emergency,” a government statement said.
In a public address on Monday, the country’s outspoken president, Rodrigo Duterte, said: “When the vaccine arrives, I can be the first one to be experimented on. If it is good for me, then it is good for everyone.”
As of Monday, the Philippines’s total number of confirmed coronavirus infections stood at 136,638, the highest in South-East Asia.
The death toll from COVID-19 was 2,293.