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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 15) – Presidential spokesman Harry Roque defended the government’s bid to secure up to 25 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, even if the Chinese drug maker has yet to prove it is safe and effective.
“The reason we receive Sinovac is because they are the only ones who will provide the supply as soon as possible.“Roque said in his briefing on Tuesday.”We won’t buy it unless the FDA says it’s safe and effective. “
[Translation: The reason we are pursuing Sinovac is because they are the only ones that can provide us the supply in the shortest time possible. Of course, we’re not going to buy the doses without the FDA’s certification that they are safe and effective.]RELATED: China’s COVID-19 Vaccine Offering Aimed To ‘Improve’ Global Reputation – Submitted
At the time of writing, only the vaccine produced by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech has obtained emergency use authorization overseas, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Singapore, which have begun dosing at health workers.
Vaccine Czar Carlito Gálvez, Jr., denied Monday that the Philippines was slow to secure vaccine supply deals. He added that negotiations to obtain Sinovac vaccines in the country are being finalized in March, a month before their commitment.
READ: Pfizer and the US FDA In Negotiations Before Authorizing Coronavirus Vaccine
Discussions with Pfizer are ongoing, and vaccine doses are likely to be shipped to the country by the second quarter of 2021 at the earliest.
The director general of the Food and Drug Administration, Eric Domingo, said that Sinovac is one of three vaccine manufacturers that have already asked about the process to obtain approval for emergency use in the country.
Sinovac has yet to reveal the results of its phase 3 clinical trials, although the Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana previously said it has already been administered to one million people on the mainland, including members of the Chinese military.
RELATED: FDA Ensures ‘Objective’ Analysis Of COVID-19 Vaccines, Says Bribes Unwelcome
Domingo added that the FDA will not approve the emergency use of vaccines made in China if there is not enough safety and efficacy data to support it.
Domingo said China’s approval of Sinovac for general use is unlikely to speed up the approval process here, as the Chinese FDA is not considered a “mature regulatory agency.” Previously, Galvez said it would be easier for the FDA in the Philippines to approve a vaccine if regulators in the US or UK have already authorized it for emergency use.
The unofficial data also pointed to the cost per dose of Sinovac as more expensive than that of other drug manufacturers. However, both Roque and the Budget Department’s Procurement Service have said that this was not the most important consideration right now.
“The president’s instruction is very precise, we get the vaccines for the protection of the Filipino people,” said Undersecretary of Budget Lloyd Lao. “Whatever is safest, most effective and available, we will get it. The cost and price will be borne by the DOF (Department of Finance) … is secondary.”
“dropped the ball. “Roque said he was not sure of the details of the alleged agreement.
The Pfizer vaccine is said to be 95% effective in protecting a person from COVID-19 and has no safety concerns.
“The problem is, even if we like Pfizer, we have nothing to gain. first quarter [The problem is even if we want Pfizer, we cannot get the supply within the first quarter]”Roque added.
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