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MANILA, Philippines – COVID-19 is no longer very scary with the development of a vaccine approaching development in the United States, President Rodrigo Duterte said in a prerecorded speech broadcast Tuesday night.
“Pfizer of America already has it. So COVID is no longer scary, ”Duterte said in Filipino.
According to him, Finance Secretary Sonny Domínguez III said the government can borrow $ 300 million to finance the purchase of the vaccine.
The president also reiterated that the government will bear the costs of the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine, prioritizing the poorest of the poor.
According to Pfizer, its COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 percent effective based on initial trial results.
The pharmaceutical giant said it had not found any serious safety concerns yet and could apply for authorization for emergency use in the United States this month.
Meanwhile, the Philippine ambassador to the United States, José Manuel Romualdez, said that vaccines manufactured by American pharmaceutical companies could be available for purchase in the first quarter of 2021.
–With a report from Reuters
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