DOST Eyes Begin COVID-19 Vaccine Trials in December

The World Health Organization (DOH) has not yet announced the exact date the Solidarity Trial will begin for the COVID-19 candidate vaccines in the country, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said.

DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña said the global trial is expected to begin in the Americas this month, while for other countries such as the Philippines, the initiative is scheduled to begin in December.

“The first clinical trial will take place in the Americas and the rest of the Philippines will be in December. I don’t know how many trials there will be in America and here in the Philippines. [The first area where the clinical trial will begin is in the Americas and the rest, such as the Philippines will be in December. I do not know yet how big the trials will be in the Americas and in the Philippines]”Dela Peña said in an online forum organized by the Department of Health (DOH).

“They have definitely not yet announced which vaccines will be included and which protocol will be followed. And there is still no exact date in December to start here [they have not yet announced which vaccines will be included and which protocol will be followed. And there is still no exact date on December yet as to when it will start]”He added.

Vaccine Czar

In a related development, Dela Peña also gave his support to Secretary Carlito Gálvez Jr., who was appointed as the country’s vaccine czar.

“We think it would be nice to have a vaccine czar … The matter stops there, although we are very involved, uh there is one upstairs who really knows it. It is so important to have a vaccine czar [We believe it would be good to have a vaccine czar … The buck stops there, even though there are a lot of us who are involved, there is a head who will lead us. So, it is a good thing to have a vaccine czar],” he said.

Gálvez told DOST that he will be part of a working group in charge of the “technical evaluation and selection” of possible COVID-19 vaccines, Dela Peña said.

“In fact, later we will meet with Secretary Gálvez to really define exactly to what extent our responsibility is because many task groups will criticize that they definitely include DOST, DOH and I think DBM (Department of Budget and Management) also [In fact later we will meet with Secretary Galvez to really define exactly how far our responsibility is because many task groups have been created which definitely includes DOST, DOH, and I think DBM as well]”Said the head of DOST.

On Monday, November 9, Gálvez is expected to present the organizational structure of the vaccine implementation team, as well as other initial plans, said DOH Undersecretary María Rosario Vergeire.

“In short, we have not changed in what we do. As Secretary Boy (Dela Peña) said before … Secretary Gálvez is here to guide us and expedite things, ”said Vergeire.

“But the existing processes are still what we do, he just gives those [We are still doing the existing processes, he just gives] suggestions on how we can improve and how we can do it faster, ”he added.

President Duterte tasked Gálvez with overseeing the negotiation, manufacture, production, purchase or distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.