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Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is willing to be the first to get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine to ensure the public’s safety, according to a report by GMA News’ Unang Balita on Monday.
Duque was responding to Senator Bong Go’s challenge that Duque and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. should receive the COVID-19 vaccine first to increase confidence in the vaccine among the population.
“Yes [I will do it]. Insurance. That is a no-brainer. Of course. No problem, ”Duque said in an interview with the ANC on Monday.
“I will take it as long as it has undergone a scientific evaluation of the Vaccine Expert Panel of the Department of Science and Technology, the Review of the Ethics Board and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which will conduct its own regulatory assessment, “Duque added.
A COVID-19 vaccine must pass all three stages before it can be administered or sold in the Philippines.
Likewise, Duque asked his fellow cabinet members to do the same and volunteer to be among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which will be approved by Philippine regulatory bodies.
“I encourage my fellow Cabinet members and other government officials to join me,” Duque added.
In November 2018, a measles outbreak occurred in the country as confidence in the vaccine dropped from 92% to 33% amid the Dengvaxia dengue vaccine controversy.
That staggering loss of confidence in the vaccine came a year after officials from Dengvaxia’s maker, Sanofi, announced that their vaccine posed a risk to those who had not been infected with dengue before being injected with the vaccine.
This announcement only came after the vaccine has already been administered to more than 700,000 children and even police officers.
Without admitting any wrongdoing, Sanofi returned P1.16 billion to the Health Department for the unused doses of vaccine.
The Philippines has recorded 439,834 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday. Of this number, 408,634 recovered and 8,554 died.
The number of active COVID-19 cases is 22,646. —KG, GMA News
