Palace: Duterte prefers to get China’s Sinopharm vaccine

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte prefers to get inoculated with the China-based drugmaker Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine, Malacañang said Monday.

“He [President Duterte] has said that his preference is for Sinopharm,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.

President Duterte earlier said he prefers to get vaccines from Chinese vaccine manufacturers; however, he cannot be administered with the Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine because it is not recommended for senior citizens.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has granted the Sinovac vaccine an emergency use authorization, said it can only be given to clinically healthy individuals between the age of 18 to 59 years old.

President Duterte is now 75 years old.

Duterte’s close-in security detail had been inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine, which was said to be donated, last year sans an emergency use authorization from the FDA, Presidential Security Group commander Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III earlier admitted.

President Duterte said he was not aware that his security detail has been inoculated; however, he earlier revealed that many people in the Philippines have already received China’s Sinopharm vaccine.

The FDA has issued a compassionate use license for 10,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine at the request of the PSG.

Sinopharm is a pharmaceutical firm run by the Chinese government.

JE