WHO coronavirus vaccine trials to cost P89 million – DOH

MANILA, Philippines — The government expects to spend P89 million in hosting the World Health Organization (WHO)-led Solidarity Trials but the cost of the potential COVID-19 vaccine will be shouldered by the global health agency, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the amount was the country’s small contribution to help in the worldwide effort to find an effective COVID-19 vaccine.

She pointed out that the Philippines will pay for operational expenses like transportation, cold chain and laboratory supplies, such as the protective gear that will be used for the trial that would likely start in December.

“This also includes the payment for the personnel who will conduct the clinical tests and monitor the patients,” Vergeire said.

Earlier, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said that 12 hospitals were identified as trial sites, with the Philippine General Hospital as the main project implementer.

Vergeire stressed that it is important for the country to participate in the WHO trials and not just wait for pharmaceutical firms to complete their research.

“We cannot just rely on a few pharmaceutical companies to search for an effective COVID-19 vaccine, especially that most countries are already racing to secure their doses,” she said.

At least 34 vaccines are being studied for inclusion in the WHO trials.

According to Dela Peña, participants in the trial may be chosen from the five to 10 barangays with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

As of Saturday, the DOH reported 2,674 new cases, pushing the national tally to 319,330, 58,606 of which are active cases.

Metro Manila accounted for a little over a third of the new infections at 1,046, followed by Cavite (257), Rizal (165), Batangas (137) and Laguna (121).

The total number of COVID-19 survivors rose to 255,046 with the recovery of 459 more patients. However, the death toll climbed to 5,678 as 62 patients succumbed to the severe respiratory disease.

A total 3,602,725 patients have been tested by the 138 accredited laboratories, as of Saturday noon.