Dela Rosa says he's willing to get COVID vax even without FDA's nod

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa is willing to get a vaccine against COVID-19 even if the dose has no approval from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration, so long as it has "high efficacy" rate.

In an interview with dzMM on Saturday, Dela Rosa was asked if he would be willing to receive an FDA-approved COVID vaccine amid the controversy arising from Presidential Security Group's inoculation with unregistered dose.

Dela Rosa said that while he still has to think about getting vaccinated, it does not matter if the vaccine offered to him is approved by the FDA.

"FDA-approved o hindi, buhay ko ito, wala akong pakialam diyan sa FDA kung i-approve nila o hindi yan basta buhay ko nakasalalay, I have to decide for my own life," he said.

According to the senator, the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine by the FDA is for "formality" only, as the country where the vaccine was manufactured had already greenlighted it before distribution.

"Kung approved na sa China, may sariling FDA din naman yung China. Yung pag-approve ng FDA natin dito, it's more on formality na lang yan, more on ministerial na lang yan," he pointed out.

Dela Rosa said he would go for a vaccine that has a high efficacy rate.

"Maganda sana kung yung magandang brand, nandito na sa atin at sigurado tayo. Kung available yun, merong Pfizer, kung available na sa public yan, e 'di pupuntahan natin yung pinakamaganda. Buhay mo yan e. 

"Bahala na kung magka-utang-utang tayo, hahanap ng pera para makabili lang ng with 'highest efficacy' na vaccine. Doon ako pupunta kung available na," he said.

In the same interview, Dela Rosa defended the early inoculation of PSG members with an unregistered vaccine, saying it was their personal decision in order to protect President Rodrigo Duterte from contracting the novel coronavirus.

Moreover, he said the PSG did not violate any law for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine not yet approved by the FDA.

"Hindi pa nga established kung talagang epektibo ang bakuna na yan dahil hindi pa approved sa FDA pero sila ay nagpabakuna na. E 'di nagpapasalamat tayo sa kanila at ginawa nila ang sarili nila na guinea pig diyan sa eksperimento na yan," Dela Rosa said.

"Kung maganda ang resulta, e di thank you. Kung pangit, kawawa naman sila at isinugal nila ang buhay nila para sa bakuna na yan," he added.

Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009, nevertheless, explicitly prohibits the "manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising" of any unregistered health product.

Dela Rosa earlier tested positive for COVID-19 and was even hospitalized, but he has since recovered from the disease. —LBG, GMA News