National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. (PNA file photo by Joey Razon)
MANILA – The country's coronavirus vaccine portfolio went through "a rigorous review" and carefully scrutinized by the vaccine expert panel (VEP), National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday.
Galvez, also the vaccine czar, made this remark to defend the government's jab procurement process after Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon called on the task force to buy “more effective vaccines.”
"We ensure that all the policies that we craft and implement are science-based and evidence-based," Galvez said in a statement.
He said all vaccine brands listed in the country’s supply portfolio were carefully examined and scrutinized by the country's top doctors and vaccine experts.
"We listen and follow the panel’s assessment on what vaccines to procure to ensure that they are all safe and effective regardless of brands," he said.
Over the weekend, Drilon urged the national government to prioritize the purchase and use of jabs that "have high levels of efficacy," citing an "alarming" notion that "because as it appears now, Sinovac is the vaccine of choice by the government."
Galvez, however, defended that all vaccines, including Sinovac, that have acquired Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the country's Food and Drug Administration are "performing well in the real-world conditions compared to their clinical trial results."
Galvez said Sinovac has 90 percent effectiveness in preventing intensive care admissions and deaths in Uruguay.
He added it is also 94 percent effective in protecting health care workers in Indonesia.
"This shows that Sinovac is performing well and at par with Western-made vaccine brands. In addition, the China-made vaccine is being used in more than 28 countries around the world," he said.
He said the country's vaccine experts are discouraging the government to early conclude the efficacy of the vaccines against the Delta variant "as data gathering is still ongoing."
"I will always consider the advice of our experts and not from people who do not want to listen to more prudent and deliberate decision-making," he said.
According to reports, the Delta coronavirus variant is found to be 60 percent more infectious and transmissible than the Alpha variant.
So far, the Philippines has received a total of 17,455,470 vaccine supply, of which 12 million doses are Sinovac, and the rest are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, and Moderna brands.
The government anticipates the deliveries of about 13 million doses in July and 13,670,000 doses in August from Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and the COVAX facility. (PNA)
