Duque willing to be first to get COVID-19 vaccine once approved by regulators

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is willing to be the first one to get immunized with a COVID-19 vaccine to assure the public of its safety, according to a report on GMA News' Unang Balita on Monday.

Duque was responding to the challenge made by Senator Bong Go that Duque and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. should get the COVID-19 vaccine first to boost vaccine confidence among the populace. 

“Yes [I will do it]. Definitely. That is a no brainer. Sure. No problem,” Duque said in an ANC interview on Monday.

“I will take it as long as it has undergone scientific evaluation of the Department of Science and Technology’s Vaccine Experts Panel, the Ethics Board Review and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) which will conduct its own regulatory assessment," Duque added.

A COVID-19 vaccine needs to hurdle such three stages before it can be administered or sold in the Philippines. 

Likewise, Duque called on his fellow Cabinet members to do the same and volunteer to be among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine which will be approved by Philippine regulatory bodies.

“I encourage my fellow Cabinet members and other government officials to join me,” Duque added.

Back in November 2018, a measles outbreak occurred in the country because vaccine confidence was reduced from 92% to 33% amid the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia controversy.

That staggering loss of vaccine confidence happened a year after officials of Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi announced that their vaccine posed a risk to those who have not been infected by dengue prior to being injected with the vaccine. 

This announcement only came after the vaccine has already been administered to over 700,000 children and even policemen.
 
Without admitting any wrongdoing, Sanofi returned P1.16 billion to the Department of Health for the unused doses of vaccine. 

The Philippines has registered 439,834 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday. Of this number, 408,634 recovered while 8,554 died. 

The number of active COVID-19 cases is at 22,646. —KG, GMA News