WHO has ‘low confidence’ in Sinopharm for seniors

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said President Duterte’s inoculation was covered by “virtue of the compassionate special permit (CSP),” since the vaccine manufactured by the China state-owned Sinopharm has not yet been issued an emergency use authorization in the Philippines.

Duque, who administered the drug himself at Malacañang, said Mr. Duterte’s choice was based on the “prescription” of the President’s physician.

Duque, however, did not name the doctor that cleared the President for the Sinopharm shot, but he did say that Mr. Duterte’s decision to get vaccinated is a good thing since it proves that vaccines are safe and effective.

It was “by virtue of the [CSP]. The CSP is the authority and the authorization from the [Food and Drug Administration],” Duque said at a press briefing at the rollout of the Russian Sputnik V vaccines at Sta. Ana Hospital in Manila on Tuesday.

The Department of Health Administrative Order No. 2020-0028, provides for the policies for issuing CSP restricted use on unregistered drugs and other devices and products.

It allows patients who are “terminally or seriously ill to have access to drugs and devices” that are not yet or are still in the process of registration in the Philippines.

Duque said the shot administered to Mr. Duterte was part of the 1,000 Sinopharm doses granted with the same CSP for use of the President’s security detail.

In a vaccine evidence assessment released by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (Sage) on Immunization on April 29, it said it was “very confident” that the Sinopharm or the BBIBP-CorV could effectively prevent COVID-19 in people between 18 to 59 years old.

But Sage said it had a “low level of confidence” on the inactivated virus vaccine in preventing the disease in older adults 60 years old and above. INQ