Bill establishing vaccine indemnity fund filed in Senate

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay has filed a bill seeking to establish a “vaccine indemnification fund” to compensate recipients who would suffer adverse side effects from their vaccination.

Under Senate Bill No. 2015, the indemnity fund would be subsidized by pharmaceutical companies that supply the government with vaccines for public immunization programs.

“Pharmaceutical companies participating in public tenders and are awarded government contracts for the supply of such vaccines” are mandated to reserve at least one percent of the contact price to form part of the indemnification fund, according to the measure.

“The reserved amount shall be deposited with the Bureau of Treasury of the Department of Budget and Management,” it added.

The measure’s initial implementation, however, would be charged against the appropriations of the Department of Health (DOH) in its current and subsequent budget.

Thereafter, the amount needed for the continued implementation of the proposed law would be taken from the government indemnification fund subsidized by the pharmaceutical firms.

If the fund is “insufficient to answer for potential claims,” the DOH would step in again and subsidize such an amount in the supplemental budget to be included in the agency’s annual budget.

Binay filed her bill as the government prepares for its initial rollout of the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination program next month.

The full implementation of the vaccination program for the priority sectors may begin in the third quarter with the arrival of the bulk of the various vaccine orders.

EDV