DOH: Gov’t earmarks P89.1M for WHO solidarity trials of COVID vaccines

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. INQUIRER file photo / EDWIN BACASMAS

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said that an approved budget of P89.1 million was earmarked for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “solidarity trials” for potential COVID-19 vaccines.

“Ang total approved budget po natin, which is funded by the Department of Science and Technology, is P89.1 million,” DOH Undersecretary and spokeswoman Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online press briefing.

(Our total approved budget, which is funded by the Department of Science and Technology, is P89.1 million.)

“I’d like to clear also when we say we have a budget for vaccines, ito po yung operational expenses para sa gagawing trial natin (this is the operational expenses for our trials that we will do),” the DOH official clarified.

“’Yun pong bakuna, yun po ang ibibigay sa atin ng WHO in partnership with the manufacturers and then yung iba pong operational expenses, ‘yun po yung pagkakagastusan nitong P89.1 million,” she added

(The vaccine, this will be given to us by the WHO in partnership with the manufacturers, then the other operational expenses, that is where the P89.1 million will be spent on.)

Vergeire added that the tentative start of the solidarity trials would be by the third week of October and that 34 potential vaccines being considered for the trials.

The DOH later provided that the 34 potential vaccines are currently undergoing human trials.

Nine are currently undergoing Phase 3 trials, the DOH said. These are:

• Oxford Astra-Zenica AZD 1222
• Cansino Biological Institute/Beijing Institute of Biotechnology
• Gamaleya Research Institute
• Janssen Pharma
• Sinovac inactivated vaccine
• Sinopharm Wuhan inactivated vaccine
• Sinopharm Beijing inactivated vaccine
• BioNtech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer 3 LNP-mRNA-based vaccine
• Moderna/NIAID encapsulated mRNA-based vaccine

During Phase 3 of the clinical trials, thousands of patients will have to be vaccinated to test its safety and efficacy.

Vergeire also said that the DOH is still finalizing the sites where the WHO solidarity trials may take place.

Currently, the Philippines has 269,407 COVID-19 cases, with 4,663 fatalities and  207,352 recoveries.

JPV