Marcos admin urged to establish CDC, vaccine authority

Dr. Jose Brittanio S. Pujalte Jr. (left) took his oath as medical director of the Philippine Orthopedic Center in 2014 before then Health Secretary Enrique Ona. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Department of Health)

MANILA, Philippines — The medical center chief of the Philippine Orthopedic Center, Dr. Jose Brittanio S. Pujalte Jr., urged the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand Mrcos Jr. to establish a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and a Philippine Vaccine Authority (PVA).

Speaking to INQUIRER.net, Pujalte said having those two organizations would prepare the country against disease outbreaks, endemics, and pandemics.

Pujalte said that the CDC would release advisories and bulletins based solely on science.

“In other words, not based on pressures from the economic managers or businessmen or politicians,” he said. “If the advisories are science-based, based on pathogens, and then what we know about the treatment. Then it will make more sense.”

Pujalte also pushed for the creation of a PVA to oversee the local production of vaccines, making the Philippines less reliant on imports and donations.

“That’s a major need for self-sufficiency of vaccines,” he said. “Because right now I asked the head of [the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine], Dr. Celia Carlos [about locally produced vaccines]. We’re only doing anti-venom for cobra.”

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demographics, has also proposed the creation of similar organizations.

The House of Representatives has since approved a bill creating the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines and the Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

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