Sinovac to get EUA before February 20, says Galvez

Emergency use authorization (EUA) for Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac will be granted before February 20, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said Wednesday.

“Iyong EUA po ng Sinovac, maa-approve po before February 20. Maganda ang arrangement natin kasi may darating kada buwan,” Galvez said during the day's Laging Handa public briefing.

“50,000 doses of Sinovac sa February, tapos 950,000 sa  March, tapos one million, two million, 3 million kada buwan,” he added.

Sinovac, however, has yet to apply for EUA before the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but according to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Arriola, Sinovac -- as well as Sinopharm -- will seek EUA this month.

“As far as we know they will be applying within the month,” Arriola said at the Laging Handa briefing.

Galvez said Sinovac was consolidating the results of late-stage trials of the CoronaVac vaccine in Brazil and Turkey, which will be submitted to the FDA.

He also said Sinovac is awaiting approval for general public use and authority to export from the Chinese government.

“By first week of February, China will issue EUA [to Sinovac] for general use and for export kasi iyong EUA nila [ngayon] is for limited use na nakuha nila noong August [2020],” he said.

The FDA is currently evaluating EUA applications for vaccines developed by Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Gamaleya Research Institute.

The Philippines targets to inoculate up to 70 million individuals this year, with vaccinations slated to begin in February. 

Sinovac has been issued EUA in Indonesia after human trials there showed it is at least 65% effective. Indonesia is the first country outside of China to grant EUA on Sinovac.   —with Virgil Lopez/KBK, GMA News