Duterte gets first shot of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine

President Rodrigo Duterte received his first shot of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.

According to Senator Bong Go, Duterte’s former aid, Duterte got vaccinated against the virus to encourage the Filipinos to get inoculated.

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Duterte’s vaccination was streamed live on Facebook. “I feel good and I have been expecting this shot, vaccination a long time ago,” the President said before he received the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.

In February, the  (FDA) has approved the compassionate use of Sinopharm, a COVID-19  from China, for President Rodrigo Duterte’s Presidential Security Group (PSG) members.

According to, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the compassionate use will cover 10,000 doses.

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A vaccine needs to apply and obtain an emergency use authorization from the FDA for it could be administered in the country. Sinopharm has yet to apply for a EUA.

However, FDA said it could allow the use of Sinopharm vaccines even without EUA if it approved for compassionate use.

Duterte gets first shot of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine

In December 2020, AFP spokesman, Marine Major General Edgard Arevalo admitted that Duterte’s Presidential Security Group () were the first ones in the military to received , even if the regulators have not yet approved any vaccine for use in the Philippines at the time.

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In January, Duterte no longer plans to be the first one to get vaccinated against COVID-19 once the vaccines arrive in the country.

According to the President, front liners and important workers in the country are still a priority.

“Ang mga frontline na health workers; mauna ang teachers at social workers and other government workers; and three, essential workers outside health, education, social welfare, for example, , food, tourism and ‘yung may contact talaga sa tao; then the socio-demographic groups at tingnan natin kung sino ang mauna sa kanila. Then there are the overseas Filipino workers; all remaining workers; other remaining workers; then, all remaining citizens,” he said.

The soldiers and police are said to be only in the fifth priority of  and after them, the President is next in line.

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