Roque willing to get Sinovac shot if Duterte allows him

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is more than ready to get a Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, provided President Rodrigo Duterte allows him to.

Roque made the announcement  on the same day that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to the Chinese firm.

“Naku, handang-handa na po ako. Kung papayagan po ako ng Presidente at papayagan ako ng National Task Force, magpapauna po tayo,” Roque said.

Roque is referring to National Task Force Against COVID-19 which implements the government’s policies on COVID-19 response.

The FDA, however, said that Sinovac is not recommended to health workers since its efficacy rate only reached 50% in that group. Likewise, the FDA also said that Sinovac posted 65.3% to 91.2% efficacy rate only among clinically healthy individuals aged 18 to 59 years old.

“Ang sabi po sa akin ni Secretary Vince Dizon, ang ating Deputy Chief Implementer ng NTF, ay isang araw lang naman ang kinakailangan natin so sa pang-apat na araw ay baka pupuwede na,” Roque added, referring to when the country can start its unprecedented COVID-19 mass vaccination program.

Roque earlier said that the 600,000 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government would arrive on February 23, and that the date is set in stone. This was on February 16.

Four days ago, Roque conceded that this timeline might be delayed since Sinovac had yet to secure an EUA from FDA at the time.

Before this, Roque declared that the first vaccinations in the country would take place on February 15, before it was learned that the vaccines were held up due to the lack of an indemnification law in the country. 

This time, Roque is not setting anything in stone.

“Ayaw ko na pong mag-promise baka may mangyari na naman, pero asahan po natin na wala na pong matagal na delay para magsimula ang ating bakuna,” Roque said.

“Pasensiya na po kayo, naantala ng mga ilang araw lang naman ‘no, dahil ako naman po sa mula’t mula ay nanindigan na ang talagang unang gagamitin natin ay ang Sinovac o ang Chinese vaccine,” Roque added. — BM, GMA News