MADE IN CHINA The Beijing Institute of Biological Products claims the Sinopharm vaccine is 79 percent effective. —REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is planning to donate 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese drugmaker Sinopharm to the Philippines, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Thursday.
“I believe iyong UAE, they have the intention also of donating iyong 500,000 na Sinopharm,” he said in a Palace briefing.
Sinopharm has yet to secure an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA said the pharmaceutical firm has yet to submit its application for an EUA.
However, FDA earlier allowed the compassionate use of 10,000 doses of Sinopharm shots for members of the Presidential Security Group.
The Philippines has so far received one million China-donated CoronaVac shots developed by Sinovac, and 525,6000 doses of AstraZeneca doses through the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility.