Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. Screenshot from PCOO Facebook video
MANILA, Philippines — As long as it is only in small quantities and not intended for sale, Malacañang said Monday individuals may have COVID-19 vaccines brought into the country even if it has yet to secure approval from regulators.
“Kung makakalusot po iyan ‘no. It has to be very small quantities, I suppose ‘no. Kasi kung commercial quantity iyan, that will have to require a license,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.
(If that will pass through. It has to be very small quantities, I suppose. Because if it is commercial quantity, that will have to require a license.)
Roque was asked if an individual who is capable of bringing in a COVID-19 vaccine here for personal use is allowed.
This, after he said that getting inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine that has yet to be approved by regulators is not against the country’s law.
“Ang importante po ay mayroong EUA [emergency use authorization] iyan sa Tsina; ang importante ay hindi po iyan officially inangkat. Ang importante po ay hindi po iyan binenta, hindi po iyan dinistribute; mayroong nagbigay, mayroong tumanggap, tinurukan, full stop,” Roque said.
(What’s important is that it has an EUA from China and it was not officially imported. What’s important is that it was not sold, not distributed; there’s someone who gave it, someone who received it then vaccinated, full stop.)
During a televised speech over the weekend, President Rodrigo Duterte said several military personnel were already inoculated with a vaccine against COVID-19 developed by China’s Sinopharm.
While noting that it is not aware of how the vaccines were obtained, the Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed that members of the Presidential Security Group were the first among military personnel to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año also said some Cabinet members have been vaccinated against the disease.