Duterte prefers Sinopharm vaccine

BY GENALYN KABILING

President Duterte will not get the Sinovac vaccine after the country’s drug regulators advised against its use for senior citizens, Malacañang announced Monday.

The President, 75, instead prefers to be vaccinated by another Chinese-made vaccine, Sinopharm, to protect him against the COVID-19, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque.

“Obviously po dahil sinabi ng EUA na inisyu ng FDA na hindi muna natin gagamitin sa seniors, hindi mapapasama ang president sa mauuna (Obviously, because the EUA issued by FDA indicated it cannot be used for seniors, the President will not be among those who will get the first jabs),” Roque said during a televised press conference Monday, Feb. 22.

Asked i f the President will take the other Chinese developed vaccine, Roque said: “He has said his preference is for Sinopharm.”

The country’s Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it has approved the Sinovac vaccines for emergency use following a thorough review of relevant health data. It however did not recommend its use for the country’s health workers.

The Chinese vaccines instead are recommended for use of 18 to 59 year old clinically health individuals. Sinovac has become the third company to be given EUA in the country, next to Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

The FDA earlier issued a compassionate use permit for 10,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines supposedly intended for the Presidential Security Group and their families.

With the FDA approval of Sinovac, Roque said the government could soon begin the vaccination drive initially for uniformed personnel and other essential workers. He clarified that the Palace did not ask the FDA to complete its review of the Sinovac vaccine with undue haste.

President Duterte recently decided to take his vaccine shot in public. He initially preferred to do the vaccination in private since he wanted to be injected in the buttock area.

The Palace earlier said the President wanted to be vaccinated either with the vaccine developed