Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion (File photo)
MANILA – As the state of public health emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic is set to expire next month, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion reiterated his call to the government to plan for the supplies of Covid-19 vaccines and medicines for the country’s need in the future.
During the Laging Handa public briefing Tuesday, Concepcion said the government should begin the application process for certificate of product registration (CPR) for Covid-19 vaccines and medicines, such as Paxlovid and molnupiravir.
Covid-19 vaccines and medicines were given emergency use authorization (EUA) as the country remains under a public health emergency status.
“So this September, the public state of health emergency will expire and President (Ferdinand) Marcos (Jr.) may continue with it or may terminate the state of public health emergency,” Concepcion said. “So if the government will continue to buy the vaccines, then they may have to issue EUA.”
He added it is also important to ensure the supply of antiviral medicines like Pfizer’s Paxlovid and molnupiravir as part of the government’s pandemic response.
“Antivirals are a way forward considering how vaccinations are going right now and how we have seen cases come and go. We need to bring in antiviral medicines to build up our defenses against Covid,” the former presidential adviser for entrepreneurship said.
Concepcion said he will support the government’s move if it decides to lift the state of public health emergency.
“I think we can still remove the state of public health emergency –that’s what I think. I would support that because even countries where cases are increasing, they don’t have (a) public state of health emergency because their hospitals are no longer fully utilized. Many people got infected now, in fact our infection levels are going up but most of these are mild and there is no need for confinement in hospitals,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
However, Concepcion underscored that the government should start laying the groundwork in getting inventories of Covid-19 vaccines and medicines.
“The important thing is that the inventory must be there when we need it, and we must be already laying the groundwork now,” he said. (PNA)
