Zubiri: Telling Pinoys not to be choosy with COVID-19 vaccine is unfair

Preventing Filipinos from getting the COVID-19 vaccine of their choice is unfair, Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri said Monday.

Zubiri was responding to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr.'s remark that Filipinos cannot be choosy when it comes to the brand of COVID-19 vaccine that they are getting amid the pandemic.

Roque’s words went, “Totoo po, mayroon tayong lahat na karapatan para sa mabuting kalusugan pero hindi naman po pu-puwede na pihikan dahil napakaraming Pilipino na dapat turukan.”

Roque made the comments a day after Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced that the Philippines has secured 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Chinese firm Sinovac, a vaccine that is yet to secure emergency use authorization in the United States and Europe.

“That is not a fair assessment. We should give our people [the] choice [which brand of COVID-19 vaccine to get],” Zubiri said.

Zubiri cited British firm AstraZeneca's vaccine, which is only worth P500 for two doses and has been proven at least 90% effective in human trials.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has also secured emergency use authorization (EUA) from the regulatory bodies of the United States and  United Kingdom, among others.

“Iyong P500 po, kaang kaya po yan ng ating mga wage earner na bayaran. Kaya dapat meron po silang mapagpipilian na pinakamaganda at pinakaeffective,” Zubiri added.

Likewise, Zubiri argued that even Indonesia, which granted EUA to Chinese vaccine Sinovac, only decided to give Sinovac to its citizens aged 18 to 59 years old since Sinovac’s human trials did not show a high efficacy rate among the elderly.

In response, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that Filipinos will be free to choose from different brands of COVID-19 vaccines which are safe and effective.

“Hindi po tayo magbibigay ng bakuna na hindi natin naiintindihan ang mga indication ng bawat bakuna. That is why we will have a diverse vaccine portfolio,” Duque said.

“Itong diverse vaccine portfolio po ang ating policy kasi we recognize na may limitations po ang isang vaccine,” he added. — BM, GMA News