600,000 Sinovac doses ready for shipment to Philippines, says exec

Published February 24, 2021 10:28 AM Updated February 24, 2021 10:40 AM By JULIA MARI ORNEDO,GMA News

The general manager of Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech on Wednesday said the 600,000 coronavirus vaccine doses donated by the Chinese government are ready for shipment to the Philippines.

“The products are already there, we are managing the procedures of making the delivery and we will expect that [the] Philippines will be one of the important countries where we’re going to supply the products,” Helen Yang said in an interview on ANC.

“I think it (the delivery) will be soon, we’re working hard to make it happen,” she added.

The doses were initially expected to arrive on Tuesday, February 23. 

However, the delivery was delayed as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approved the Sinovac jab for emergency use this week. 

The country’s drug regulator did not recommend the vaccine for health workers

due to its lower efficacy rate of 50.4% in the said group but said it is best for healthy individuals aged 18 to 59. 

FDA chief Eric Domingo later clarified that health workers can still get the Sinovac shot if they want to since the agency merely made a recommendation. 

Yang said the 50.4% efficacy rate of their vaccine among health workers still meets the World Health Organization’s threshold of 50%, aside from its 65.3% to 91.2% efficacy among the 18 to 59 age group.

“The results we have already announced in the past, that the vaccine can provide 100% efficacy on the fatal cases, hospitalized cases… Therefore, we conclude the vaccine is safe and effective,” she said. 

Also on Wednesday, Domingo defended the emergency use authorization it granted to Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine with a recommendation not to use it on health workers.

Responding to a question during an Unang Balita regarding the possible negative impact of the recommendation on the confidence of the public with Chinese vaccines, Domingo said: “Hindi naman po. Kaya nga po ang ginagawa ng FDA chini-check po talaga natin kung kanino pupuwede ang bakuna.”

“For example kahit po 'yung matataas ang nakita natin na efficacy rate like Pfizer, alam natin na hindi po siya puwede sa mga may allergies. Katulad po nitong Sinovac, puwede siya sa mga may allergies,” he added. — RSJ, GMA News

 

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