Hontiveros hits NTF’s ‘reckless,’ proposal to use Sinovac vax on elderly

(FILE) MOCK VACCINATION About a hundred elderly people take part in a dry run of COVID-19 vaccination at Legarda Elementary School in Manila on Thursday. —RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — Opposition Senator Risa  Hontiveros on Thursday slammed the National Task Force Against  COVID-19 (NTF)  for its “reckless and hypocritical proposal”  to give senior citizens the Sinovac vaccine.

“Giving Sinovac to our senior citizens is intentional malpractice. Nakakagalit ang ganitong pagpupumilit ng National Taskforce against COVID-19 (NTF),” Hontiveros said in a statement.

(Giving our senior citizens Sinovac is intentional malpractice. This insistence by the National Taskforce against COVID-19 (NTF) is offensive)

“This is another reckless and hypocritical proposal by the NTF and our highest government officials,” she added.

NTF chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said they are eyeing the possibility of giving Sinovac vaccines to about 9 million senior citizens.

But Hontiveros cited the Food and Drug Administration’s earlier recommendation against injecting the elderly with the vaccine when the agency granted Sinovac an Emergency Use Authorization last month.

“CoronaVac is not for senior citizens. Huwag sana maging pasaway ulit sa sarili nating national policy,” she stressed.

(CoronaVac is not for senior citizens. We should not be hard-headed on our own national policy)

The delay in vaccine delivery to the  Philippines due to the issue of an indemnification fund should not be used as an excuse to inject the elderly with the vaccine, especially when most of them are immunocompromised, the senator said.

“Huwag nilang isangkalan ang ating mga nakatatanda para masabi lang na nabigyan na ang mga senior citizens ng bakuna,” Hontiveros  said.

(Let us not put our elderly in danger just to show that senior citizens have been given the vaccine.)

“Our officials seem at peace with “pwede na” at “basta nagawa” (this will do) which is why one year later, we’re the only country in the whole Southeast Asia that has an upsurge in cases.”

“We will take even more steps backward if we force the most vulnerable sector in the pandemic to take a vaccine that is not recommended for them. Let’s start walking in the right direction before things get worse,” she added.

/MUF

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