WHO to compensate volunteers for adverse effects during COVID-19 vaccines Solidarity Trial —DOST exec

The volunteers who will be joining the World Health Organization's (WHO) Solidarity Trial of COVID-19 vaccines will be compensated should they experience adverse reactions during the clinical trial of vaccines, an official of the Department of Science and Technology said on Saturday.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Saturday, DOST’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development Executive Director Jaime Montoya said the WHO will be using COVID-19 vaccines that have already undergone phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials in other countries.

While it is “unlikely” that adverse reactions will happen to volunteers during the trial, according to Montoyo, if such an event occurs, the WHO will compensate them.

“Kung may mangyari, minor or major, ito ay sasagutin ng WHO. Tutulungan ng WHO. Merong inalaang pondo para magamit sa mga volunteer,” he said.

“Pero kailangan maipaliwanag sa mga magvo-volunteer sa Solidarity Trial ang detalye ng bakuna,” he added.

The DOST official said the agency is targeting 15,000 volunteers to participate in the WHO Solidarity Trial, which will be conducted in Metro Manila by late January or early February.

Participants should be 18 to 59 years old, the same age bracket as the government mass vaccination program.

The recruitment and registration of participants will be at the local level in barangays which will be chosen as trial sites.

“‘Yung pipiliing bakuna, ‘yun ang ibibigay ng WHO. Pinag-aaralan nila ‘yan kung ano ang posibleng bakuna na maaring gamitin at aprubahan. Pero kailangan nila ang mas maraming datos para po ito ay eventually ma-aprubahan nila at sa iba’t ibang bansa,” Montoya said.

While the WHO has yet to identify which brand of COVID-19 vaccines would be used for the Solidarity Trial, the DOST official said vaccines which already secured emergency use authorization may be used.

“Puwede ring completely new vaccine na may ibang paraan,” Montoya said. —KG, GMA News