FULLY VACCINATED. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III administers the second Covid-19 Sinopharm shot to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday (July 12, 2021). Duterte received his first vaccine shot on May 3. (Photo courtesy of Senator Bong Go)
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Senator Bong Go confirmed that Duterte received his second Covid-19 jab on Monday by releasing photos on his official Facebook page.
"Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte, nabakunahan na ng kanyang second dose na Covid-19 vaccine ngayong araw (President Duterte has been inoculated with his second dose of Covid-19 vaccine today)," Go said in his Facebook post.
Go did not give further details.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also confirmed that Duterte was inoculated with a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company Sinopharm.
"I confirm that PRRD had his second dose of Sinopharm tonight before his meeting with select members of the [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases]. [Health] Sec. Duque administered the jab to the President," Roque said.
Duterte received his first shot of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine on May 3.
At that time, Sinopharm has yet to secure an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the administration of its Covid-19 vaccines.
In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) included Sinopharm in its emergency use listing.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared Sinopharm for emergency use in June.
Initially, FDA only issued a compassionate use license for the inoculation of 10,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).
China approved the Sinopharm vaccine for general public use last December after the developer said the vaccine showed 79.34 percent efficacy based on an interim analysis of late-stage clinical trials. (PNA)
