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MANILA – National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Wednesday said the inclusion of Sinovac Biotech company in the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is a "positive development" in the country's vaccination program.
“This is a major boost not just in our vaccine rollout and in our efforts to address vaccine hesitancy among many Filipinos, particularly our senior citizens,” Galvez said in an online media interview.
He said the WHO’s nod to Sinovac’s CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccines is "a strong testament” that vaccines procured by the government are all safe and effective.
Galvez said the government welcomes the expanding list of vaccines validated through the WHO's EUL, saying it is a prerequisite for COVAX Facility vaccine supply and international procurement, which allow countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer Covid-19 vaccines.
The EUL assesses the quality, safety, and efficacy of the vaccines, as well as risk management plans and programmatic suitability, such as cold chain requirements.
The Philippines has so far received 5.5 million doses of CoronaVac vaccine, including 4.5 million jabs procured by the government from the Chinese pharmaceutical company.
Some 4.5 million doses Sinovac vaccine are expected to be delivered this month.
“Naniniwala tayo na mas mahihikayat ang ating mga mamamayan na magpabakuna at magtiwala sa mga bakunang binili ng pamahalaan (We believe that we can encourage more Filipinos to get vaccinated and trust the government-procured vaccines),” he said.
Meanwhile, Galvez said the "uptake" of the senior citizens of the Covid-19 vaccine is increasing by the day.
“Tuluy-tuloy po ang ating pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga lokal na pamahalaan (We continue to coordinate with the local government units) to address not only the hesitancy but also the accessibility of our senior citizens,” he added.
With the recent development of the WHO's EUL, Galvez said the Sinovac vaccines will now be included in the worldwide distribution of the COVAX Facility.
“Lalaki ang supply ng COVAX at the same time, ‘yung ating mga OFW and seafarers ay hindi na mag-aalala (the COVAX supply will be increased at the same time our overseas Filipino workers will not worry anymore) as all countries should recognize the vaccines granted with EUL by the WHO, given that it is the highest level of stringent regulatory authority,” Galvez said.
The Labor department earlier appealed to the government to allow the inoculation of OFWs using western brands of Covid-19 vaccines as most of their counties of destinations preferred these brands.
But with the validation of the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, WHO said it will now give the countries, funders, procuring agencies, and communities the assurance that Sinovac meets the international standards for safety, efficacy, and manufacturing of the vaccine.
Galvez also said the country's vaccination output will largely depend on the steady vaccine supply from various pharmaceutical companies.
The WHO has already listed the Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India, AstraZeneca EU, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen, Moderna, and Sinopharm vaccines for emergency use. (PNA)
