Individuals may bring in COVID-19 vaccines in ‘very small quantities’ — Roque

Individuals may bring COVID-19 vaccines into the country provided these are “very small quantities,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday, even as the Philippines has yet to approve a vaccine for emergency use.

“Kung makakalusot po iyan, it has to be very small quantities, I suppose. Kasi kung commercial quantity iyan, that will have to require a license,” Roque said at a press briefing.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked the public not to patronize unauthorized immunizations after President Rodrigo Duterte disclosed on Saturday that some soldiers already had themselves inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm, which has yet to get an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA.

It was later revealed that soldiers assigned to protect Duterte and his family were among those who received the vaccine.

"Ang importante po ay mayroong EUA iyan sa Tsina; ang importante ay hindi po iyan officially inangkat. Ang importante po ay hindi po iyan binenta, hindi po iyan dinistribute; mayroong nagbigay, mayroong tumanggap, tinurukan," Roque said.

In a statement, Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander Brigadier General Jesus Durante III said that the vaccination was not done for personal agenda but for a "greater pursuit that is even way beyond our mission of protecting our President."

He, however, said the PSG could not speak about the effectiveness of the vaccine administered among its personnel. -NB, GMA News