Galvez: Manufacturers wary of supplying COVID-19 vax sans indemnification law

COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers would think twice about supplying the Philippines without the national government's committing to compensate any who may experience adverse effects after inoculation because of the Dengvaxia controversy, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said Wednesday.

Galvez made the comments after his revelation that the absence of an indemnification mechanism funded by the Philippine government has delayed the arrival of the initial batch of 117,000 of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines under COVAX facility in the country.

"[N]akapagpirma na po at naisumite na namin ang mga requirement, kasama po dito ang indemnification agreements para sa Pfizer at AstraZeneca, so napirmahan na po namin iyon," Galvez said during the Laging Handa briefing.

“May agam-agam iyong manufacturers kaya kailangan talaga po na merong indemnification law para magkaroon ng immunity…para magkaroon ng protection ang ating DOH (Department of Health) personnel and at the same time, iyong manufacturer from any loss, considering nga po na itong mga vaccine na ito ay under emergency use authorization only,” he also said.

“Iyon po talaga ang hinihingi ng mga manufacturer; marami po talaga ang natatakot dahil sa experience sa Dengvaxia na naihabla po ang Sanofi kasi hindi po nailagay ang informed consent,” he added.

GMA News Online has reached out to the Department of Health to verify Galvez's claims that the Dengvaxia vaccine was administered without informed consent, but it is yet to send a reply as of posting time.

The Dengvaxia controversy started in November 2017 when Sanofi-Pasteur announced that their vaccine posed a risk to those who were not infected by dengue prior to being inoculated.

This announcement, however, only came after the vaccine has already been administered to over 700,000 children and even police personnel.

There were at least 100 individuals who died after receiving the Dengvaxia vaccine, but health officials have ruled that their deaths cannot be directly linked to the vaccine.

Without admitting any wrongdoing, Sanofi returned P1.16 billion to the Department of Health for the unused doses of vaccine.—AOL/BM, GMA News