Malacañang explained Tuesday why the government opted to buy China-made CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine over other candidate vaccines, saying other manufacturers have not committed supplies to the Philippines.
Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech made the CoronaVac.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque stressed out that there is a global competition on early access for COVID-19 vaccines.
“As of now, the market is really demand-driven, and we will get what we can procure. We have no favorites,” Roque said at a press briefing.
He said China has committed to supply CoronaVac to the Philippines. He added other vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna has not made a similar commitment.
“The reason we are purchasing [CoronaVac] is we cannot immediately get Pfizer, AstraZeneca, or Moderna,” he said.
Roque said the government plans to purchase Pfizer vaccine. However, this could arrive in the second and third quarter of 2021, and “It’s not acceptable to the President to wait that long.”
He added it would be good if the Philippines could also access other COVID-19 vaccines.
Palace defends buying China vaccine CoronaVac
Food and Drug Administration evaluates China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine pending its approval from the Ethics Review Board, the Department of Health said Monday.
“ON FDA evaluating Sinovac, that is an internal agreement between the Task Group composed of the FDA, DOST, and DOH. Sistema ito na kapag na-approve na ng VEP ang produkto, FDA can initially evaluate iyong mga dokumento para hindi makatagal [sa proseso], while we wait for the Ethics Board [approval],” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
Vaccine Experts Panel (VEP) under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) reviews the Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of a candidate vaccine. Meanwhile, the Ethics Board evaluates the selection of participants for human clinical trials.
Vergeire, however, noted that the FDA would disapprove of Sinovac if it could not secure approval from the Ethics Board.
“Hindi po magkakaroon ng FDA approval if the regulatory process is not complied with,” Vergeire added.
In September, Sinovac said that based on its mid-stage trial, the possible side effects of CoronaVac include fatigue, fever, and pain, with mostly mild symptoms.