MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine produced by British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca will still have to go through the country’s regulatory process despite the efforts of private companies to secure 2.6 million doses of the vaccine.
The tripartite agreement signed on Friday by Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, AstraZeneca executive Lotis Ramin, and National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. is set to benefit 1.5 million Filipinos, or 1 percent of the Philippines’ 108 million population, as the vaccine needs two doses.
However, DOH spokeswoman and undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the inoculation cannot push through as the vaccine needs to go through the country’s regulatory process.
“Hindi naman po yan mangyayari hanggang hindi po nakakapasa yang mga bakunang yan dito sa regulatory process natin,” Vergeire during the Laging Handa press briefing.
(This will not happen unless this vaccine has not passed our regulatory process.)
“It’s just like they are having this advance commitment para lang makasigurado na meron tayong allocation na ganito kadami kung sakali sa private sector,” she added
(It’s just like that they are having this advance commitment just so we could secure the allocation for this much if ever from the private sector.)
AstraZeneca previously announced that its vaccine against COVID-19 can be 90 percent effective.
Meanwhile, Vergeire previously said that AstraZeneca officials had already secured the necessary documents to health authorities to secure approval in conducting clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine in the country.