MANILA, Philippines — The Covid-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac is the only option for Filipinos until June, Malacañang said Tuesday.
“So pagdating po ng bakuna sa Pebrero hanggang Hunyo, wala po talagang pilian iyan kasi iisa lang po ang bakuna na magiging available, iyan nga po iyong galing sa Tsina,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.
(When the vaccine arrives from February to June, there’s no other choice because only one vaccine will be available – and it’s the one from China.)
“So pagdating po doon sa, uulitin ko po ha, sa Pebrero hanggang Hunyo, wala po talagang pagpipilian. Kaya nga po kung ayaw ninyo ng Sinovac, well, hindi kayo pipilitin,” he added.
(From February to June, there’s no other choice. If you don’t want Sinovac, we won’t force you to get it.)
Roque said this after telling the public to refrain from being “picky” in terms of their vaccine preference.
The country already secured 25 million doses of Sinovac’s vaccine, 50,000 of which will arrive by next month.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) assured that all vaccines that would obtain emergency use authorization from the local Food and Drug Administration are safe.
“Pare-pareho na po sila na sinasabi ng ating FDA na sila ay magiging ligtas at sila ay magiging effective or efficacious for the individual,” DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said in the same briefing.
(All of these vaccines approved by the FDA are safe, effective and efficacious for the individual.)
“Kaya hindi po natin kailangan na mamili po tayo ng bakuna. Kung ano po iyong mauunang bakuna, atin pong tanggapin iyan,” she added.
(That’s why we won’t need to choose which vaccines to receive. Whichever comes first, let’s accept it.)
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