MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday urged local government units (LGUs) to support and assist the solidarity trials with the World Health Organization (WHO).
DILG spokesperson Usec. Jonathan Malaya stressed that coordination with LGUs, especially at the barangay level, is vital in the vaccine clinical trials’ success.
“We need the full support of our LGUs since trial sites will be at the barangay level and randomization will be by households,” Malaya said in a statement.
“The household census will also be obtained from the barangays to ensure follow up,” he added.
According to Malaya, the recipients would be recruited from the top five to 10 barangays in places that have been identified as areas of implementation for the vaccine trials, all Metro Manila cities, the Municipality of Pateros, Davao City, Cebu Province, and Cavite Province.
Some 15,000 volunteers aged 18-59 will be involved in the country’s WHO solidarity trials.
Malaya noted that the vaccine solidarity trials are different from the national vaccination program. The solidarity trials are for testing candidate vaccines’ efficacy not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Meanwhile, independent clinical trials by private vaccine companies may also be assigned trial zones so that they are equally distributed to avoid competition in subject recruitment.
In a memorandum circular, DILG Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Bernardo C. Florece Jr. also urged LGUs to provide logistic support or other non-monetary assistance needed to transport potential participants to the trial sites for screening, vaccination, and scheduled follow-up visit.
All concerned DILG Regional Offices are also directed to submit monthly situation reports regarding the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine trials in their respective areas of jurisdiction to the DILG Central Office through the Bureau of Local Government Development for monitoring purposes.
Initially, the Solidarity was slated to start in the Philippines in October of last year but was moved to December and then again to early or mid-January of 2021. Zac Sarao, Trainee
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