DOH: Gov't can buy Moderna vaccines sans US firm's clinical trials in Philippines

The Philippines can still buy COVID-19 vaccines from American biotechnology company Moderna even if the US manufacturer does not conduct clinical trials in the Philippines, the Department of Health said Wednesday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made the announcement two days after Moderna announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is at least 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 after Phase 3 of clinical trials.

“Iyong Moderna, nakausap na sila ng [Department of Science and Technology] a month ago, at ang kanilang intent is not to have a clinical trial here but they would want na doon na sila papasok sa vaccine procurement,” Vergeire said in an online forum.

“Ang objective ng Pilipinas, magkaroon ng clinical trials rito ang mga manufacturer so we can see the effect of the vaccine among our population kasi iba-iba ang epekto ng bakuna sa bawat race kaya mas maganda kung makikita natin. Pero kung hindi po sila magco-conduct ng clinical trial rito, it won’t stop the government from procuring that vaccine as long as well they go through regulatory process,” Vergeire added.

Aside from Moderna, a potential vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech was found 90% effective against preventing COVID-19 last week. Pfizer and BioNTech are yet to announce any plan to conduct clinical trials in the Philippines.

Vergeire said that the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna or any other pharmaceutical firm can be secured even without conducting clinical trials in the Philippines because vaccine protocols provide that clinical trials are conducted on different races and segments of the population.

“Kapag gumawa ng isang clinical trial ang isang manufacturer, they see to it, that is part of their criteria, na as much as different races are covered. Kaya pag tinignan po natin iyong specific populations na kasama sa kanilang clinical trials, makikita natin na iba ibang race, iba ibang sectors ng population ang isinasali, para malaman ang epekto ng bakuna,” Vergeire said.

“Kaya pag may manufacturer na hindi magko-conduct ng clinical trial rito, hindi po ‘yan makakaapekto sa pagpili natin [ng bakuna] as long as they go through regulatory process, makikita natin ang epekto ng kanilang Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 clinical trials, maeevaluate ng ating mga experts sa bakuna, at maaprubahan ng Food and Drug Administration, we can readily procure these vaccines,” Vergeire added.

The Duterte administration has allotted a P2.5-billion budget for COVID-19 vaccine procurement under the proposed 2021 national budget.

Another P10 billion for COVID-19 vaccine procurement has been provided under Bayanihan 2 law.

The Philippines has recorded 410,718 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 374,543 have recovered, while 7,862 have died.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country is at 28,313. -MDM, GMA News