CONFUSING COVID-19 VACCINE PRICES?

Senators remind DOH to verify data before submitting to Congress

The Department of Health (DOH) was reminded to be careful in submitting documents to the Senate after the confusion on the prices of COVID-19 vaccines made headlines in previous days.

During a Senate hearing on Friday, Senator Panfilo Lacson reiterated that it was the DOH which provided the price estimates of vaccines, including that of Sinovac at P3,629 for two doses, to the upper chamber during the budget deliberations last year.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the indicative price was found in an international news report through Internet search.

"Nakalagay po rito, 'Sinovac coronavirus offered by Chinese city for emergency use cost $60' tapos nag-compute po for VAT so mga P300 plus and another 'yung kanilang inassume na inflation... so lumabas pong P3,629.50," Duque said.

The agency should have been more circumspect in providing information to the legislative body, according to Lacson.

"There was no effort to check with Sinovac, the firm itself para ma-validate lang? Because you know, official document 'yun, official record, official submission," he said.

"Maybe this would serve as good lesson in future submissions na bago tayo magsubmit, medyo accurate at saka validated 'yung data. Ito 'yung nag-start ng controversy," he added.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III echoed the same reminder.

"The moral of the story is huwag submit nang submit, i-verify ninyo muna at baka mapagbintangan," he said.

Earlier this month, Lacson said there could be attempts to overprice the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Chinese firm Sinovac as it appears to be more expensive in the Philippines compared to other countries.

The speculation grew as executive officials in charge of the procurement invoked the non-disclosure agreement with manufacturers when they were being pressed for actual prices.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. explained during previous hearings that the country could lose 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines that it tries to secure if they disclose the prices that were offered at the negotiating table.

Both Lacson and Sotto were later convinced that the actual prices of the vaccines cannot be publicized at this point in time after  having a separate meeting with Galvez earlier this week.—AOL, GMA News