MANILA – The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine candidate from China’s Sinovac Biotech remains the Philippines’ first choice despite allegations that the drug maker had bribed Beijing’s drug regulator.
In a virtual presser on Thursday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said China-based COVID-19 vaccine remains the country’s priority for its inoculation drive against the deadly virus.
“The target remains that Sinovac will be the first that we can use to vaccinate our people and it will be in the first quarter of next year,” Roque said.
“What we’re waiting for is [when] magkaroon ng supply. Iyan po talaga ang problema, iyong supply. Pagdating po sa financing, wala na pong problema iyan,” he added.
A Washington Post report said court records show that Sinovac, which is also applying to run clinical trials in the Philippines, acknowledged the bribery. The CEO of the company reportedly told the court that he could not refuse the regulatory official who demanded money.
Roque stressed that the Philippines has been “consistent” in saying that only safe and effective vaccines will be used.
“Buong-buong po ang tiwala ni Presidente kay [Food and Drug Administration Director] Dr. [Eric] Domingo,” Roque said. “So pagdating po sa mga allegations on bribery, tingin ko po hindi mangyayari iyan sa Pilipinas.”
Duterte recently allowed the FDA to clear coronavirus vaccines and drugs for emergency use.
Sinovac’s vaccine called CoronaVac has been approved for emergency use in China to vaccinate high-risk groups since July 2020.
Having shown a substantial immune response and minimal safety concerns (mostly mild pain at the injection site) in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, CoronaVac is now in phase 3 clinical trials.
China is developing at least five COVID vaccines from four producers. These vaccines, which have progressed through development very rapidly, are largely based on traditional vaccine manufacturing techniques such as inactivating the virus./PN
