COVID-19 vaccine from China’s Sinovac only costs around P650 per dose, says Roque

COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese company Sinovac Research and Development Co Ltd. Photo taken from UNB via The Daily Star/Asia News Network

MANILA, Philippines — COVID-19 vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech that will be sold in the Philippines will only cost around P650, similar to its price in other countries, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque assured on Sunday.

“Ang aking i-a-assure po sa inyo, fake news po ‘yung kumakalat na P3,600 daw ang singil ng China. Ang ating presyo, bagamat hindi pa maaaring ianunsyo kung ano po talaga ang presyo ng Sinovac, ay hindi po nagkakalayo o hindi po lalayo sa presyo ng Indonesia na sa bandang P650 kada turok,” he said in an interview on DZBB. 

(What I will assure you is reports that China sells the vaccines at P3,600 is fake news. We cannot announce the exact price but it is not far from the price in Indonesia that is around P650 per dose.)

Roque said the price of vaccines from Sinovac depends on which country would buy it. 

“Ang presyo kasi ng Tsina, hindi gaya ng ibang kompanya na kapitalista na market dictated. Ang presyo ng Tsina puwede nilang baguhin. Wala silang pakialam, depende kung sino ang bibili,” he said. 

(The price of Chinese vaccines is not like in other capitalist companies that are dictated by the market. China can change the price of its vaccines. They don’t care. It depends on which country buys the vaccine.)

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC

“‘Yun ang dahilan kung bakit ayaw ipa-anunsiyo mismo ng Tsina kasi nga baka magalit ‘yung hindi masyadong nilang BFF na alam nilang bumili nang mas mahal,” Roque added. 

(That is the reason why China does not want us to announce the price of the vaccines because it may anger other countries that are not their BFF and purchased the vaccines at a higher price.)

Data earlier shared by the office of Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, showed that COVID-19 vaccines from Sinovac cost P3,629 for two doses.

Angara later clarified that the data had been supplied to the Senate by the Department of Health during budget hearings last year.

Meanwhile, Roque also defended the government’s deal with the Chinese firm to purchase 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, of which 50,000 are expected to arrive in February.

“Doon sa Brazil, napatunayan na doon sa 50 percent na posibleng magka-COVID, 78 percent mild asymptomatic na hindi na kinakailangan magpatingin sa doktor, at 100 percent walang naoospital. Hindi ba napakaganda rin noon? Bakit natin tatanggihan ‘yan?” the Palace official said.

“Bakit tayo mag-aantay sa isa na darating pa sa end of the year? Kung nakakahawa na ‘yung normal variant, mas nakakahawa na ngayon. Bakit naman tayo magsusugal sa ating kalusugan samantalang nandiyan na ang proteksiyon?” he added.

(Why would we wait for a vaccine that will only arrive by the end of the year? If the normal variant is infectious, the new variant is more infectious. Why would we risk the health of the people when we can already give them protection?)

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