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A legislator is calling for the extension of the Republic Law 11494, the “Bayanihan to recover as a single law” or “Bayanihan 2”, until December 2022 to ensure the continuity of the response and recovery efforts from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) while a vaccine is being developed.
Bayanihan 2, which provides a P165 billion stimulus package, will expire on December 19.
Introducing House Bill 8017, Rep. Of Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta, Jericho Nograles, said an extension would ensure there are adequate funds to purchase the necessary doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Nograles stressed that it could take a while before a vaccine is widely available.
“Many potential Covid-19 vaccines, to date, are still going through the three-stage clinical trial process, with the results expected to be reported in late 2020 or early 2021.
After clinical trials, the results must be verified and approved by regulatory agencies before any large-scale commercial production and distribution of the vaccine can begin on the market, ”he said.
The Nograles bill will extend the validity of some of the provisions in Section 4, which covers Covid-19 response recovery and interventions, and Section 12 on the procurement of Covid-19 drugs and vaccines.
The provisions include an uninterrupted immunization program against Covid-19 and the authorization of the President to exercise the powers necessary for its implementation.
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