The Philippines’ vaccination program against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will get a USD5 million additional support from the United States.

The announcement was made by Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff during an activity in Caloocan City on Monday, the US Embassy in Manila said.

The fresh assistance through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will support vaccine distribution for children and adults in line with the Philippine government’s Covid-19 vaccination efforts to intensify and strengthen the country’s wall of immunity.

This builds on the over USD46 million aid the US has provided to support the country’s vaccine efforts as well as its donation of 33.6 million Covid-19 vaccines.

“Through USAID, the United States has trained health care workers, strengthened the vaccine supply chain, supported effective communications campaigns, deployed mobile vaccination clinics, and bolstered economic recovery efforts in the Philippines,” the US Embassy in Manila said.

The US will also invest USD8 million to “strengthen its global health security partnership with the Philippine health system.”

To date, USAID has provided more than USD10.6 billion to over 120 countries to address the Covid-19 pandemic, with more than 664 million vaccines donated as of mid-November 2022. (PNA)