Drilon: I don’t see how 50% efficacy can generate public trust in vaccines

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon reminded the government on Friday to prioritize the safety of Filipinos and said the efficacy rate of China’s Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine “pales in comparison “with other available vaccines.

Drilon made the comment after the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said that the 50 percent efficacy of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine is “acceptable” as it falls within the minimum requirement of the World Health Organization. (WHO).

“We emphasize the urgency of acquiring COVID-19 vaccines. We understand that the government may be trying to balance cost, effectiveness, availability, and logistical complexity to determine which vaccines to bring, ”Drilon said in a statement.

“But safety and efficacy must be paramount. We must not sacrifice safety and efficacy. Otherwise, we run the risk of people rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine out of fear, “he added.

Drilon said that while 50 percent efficacy meets the minimum requirement for vaccines, it lags behind compared to Pfizer and Moderna, and even Astra Zeneca.

“I don’t see how 50% efficacy can build public confidence in vaccines. Sinovac should be more transparent with its data, ”Drilon said.

“We are talking about the life and future of Filipinos here, we will not accept the word ‘pwede na’ when it comes to vaccines,” added the senator.

(We are talking about the life and future of Filipinos here, so we cannot settle for “that’s okay” when it comes to the vaccine issue.)

Drilon said the secretary of the vaccine czar, Carlito Gálvez, should carefully consider the results and await clearer guidance from the scientific community and other authorizing agencies to determine whether Sinovac is worth offering to Filipinos.

“It is very important that we start our vaccination program in 2021 with the best possible combination of vaccines that we can get. There is a global vaccine shortage and we must focus on vaccinating our priority segments, ”Drilon said.

“Herd immunity will require a multi-year vaccination program, and over time we can inoculate 60% to 90% of our total population. But our short-term priority should be to vaccinate our first-line and highest-risk population, which is the first 20% of our people, ”he added.

Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also said that a 50 percent efficacy rate for a coronavirus pandemic vaccine is “a joke” and is “totally unacceptable.” [ac]

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