AstraZeneca’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine will continue to be given to people aged 59 and under, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
AstraZeneca vaccines have been discontinued for people aged 59 and under after it was reported abroad that those who had been vaccinated had experienced blood clots in certain parts of the body.
According to the FDA, the World Health Organization says the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its threats.
But there have been no cases of blood clots in the Philippines.
“Dito sa atin wala pang nakita ang Adverse Events Committee natin na similar cases, pero sa Europa, at saka sa ibang parte ng mundo, nakita naman na very rare ito na nangyayari,” said FDA Director-General Eric Domingo.
Up to 525,600 AstraZeneca vaccines have been shipped to the Philippines. The next batch of the vaccine is expected to arrive in May, which is one of two brands now available in the country.
AstraZeneca was then only used by senior citizens aged 60 and over. But because of its limited supply, the FDA has approved the use of the Sinovac vaccine in seniors despite the lack of evidence that it is effective in the elderly.
FDA approves AstraZeneca for 59 years old and below
Some experts have warned that Sinovac should not be used on seniors with serious illness.
Meanwhile, the government is already in talks with 6 companies interested in building vaccine factories in the country.
“Meron kaming nakikita na 2 companies na mabilis, agresibo sila. If they pursue their plans, parang kaya nila mag-produce ng vaccine by late 2022,” said DOST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara.
He also said that the government intends to give 5 to 6 years of income tax holiday to companies that will build vaccine manufacturing facilities to encourage them to make vaccines in the Philippines.
“The government’s priorities, sometimes they change depending on the administration. The private sector, as long as there is a market, they are going to be sustainable,” said Guevara.
According to Guevara, such companies will announce that they will build vaccine manufacturing facilities in the country in the coming months.