Duque administers CoronaVac to first recipient at Lung Center of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III administered on Monday Sinovac Biotech’s CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine to the first recipient at the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City.

Duque administered the vaccine to Dr. Eileen Aniceto, Department Manager of the hospital’s Emergency Medicine and Outpatient Department. 

 The vaccine administered by the Health Secretary was among the 600,000 doses of CoronaVac donated by the Chinese government to the Philippines. 

Duque was also supposed to get the Sinovac vaccine but the Department of Health said Sunday night that he won’t be inoculated with CoronaVac since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend the use of the vaccines from the Chinese brand to people aged 60 and above.

 Duque is 64 years old. 

 “He also underscores that we will follow the prioritization framework, and will ensure that limited doses will go to the HCWs (healthcare workers) first,” the DOH earlier said.

 gsg