Duterte calls for cooperation on COVID-19 vaccine access at ASEAN meet

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday urged for cooperation among Southeast Asian countries to ensure that their people will have access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Duterte made the pitch amid reports that vaccine candidates from the United States and Russia were effective at preventing people from catching the virus.

“Our immediate priority is health security. We have to strengthen our health systems by ensuring the unimpeded supply of medical supplies and technologies, and by enhancing early warning systems for health emergencies,” the President said at the plenary session of the virtual 37th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits.

“We must work together to ensure that all nations – rich or poor – will have access to safe vaccines. No one is safe until all of us are safe,” he added.

The Philippines, which previously had the worst coronavirus outbreak in the region, plans to purchase an initial 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines next year. Priority will be given to the poor, security forces, government frontline workers and health care workers.

Duterte also discussed the COVID-19 crisis during ASEAN’s meeting with its dialogue partner China.

“[T]he President said ASEAN encourages close cooperation, collaboration with China in the development and equitable distribution of safe, effective, affordable vaccines, diagnostics and medicines and welcomes China's pledge to make the COVID-19 vaccine a global public good,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

The President also expressed ASEAN’s appreciation to China for its pledge to contribute to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, initiatives for public health emergencies and its support to ASEAN's regional reserve of medical supplies and provisions for assistance to ASEAN member-states.

The Philippines is the country coordinator for ASEAN-China relations. —LDF, GMA News