Roque urges Pinoys: Take available COVID vaccine soonest time possible

Filipinos must take whatever vaccine against COVID-19 is available as soon as possible, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Roque made the call during the arrival at the Villamor Air Base on Sunday afternoon of 600,000 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Chinese government to the Philippines.

“Huwag na po kayo mag-antay. Kung ayaw niyo po makinig sa mga Pilipino na doktor, makinig kayo sa Amerikano, kay Dr. Fauci. Siya na po nagsabi, ang pinakamabuting bakuna ay ang bakunang nariyan na,” Roque said.

Roque was referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US.

“Huwag na po kayo mag-antay, lalo na’t nariyan ang mga bagong variant [ng coronavirus]. Kung mag-aantay ka, baka hindi tayo umabot,” Roque added.

So far, some 46 million people in the US have received various anti-COVID vaccines that have been approved for emergency use authorization (EUA), including Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is yet to start its COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

Recently, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration issued EUA to three COVID-19 vaccine brands that include Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac.

Efficacy rates of the three vaccine brands based on Philippine FDA evaluation are as follows:

• Pfizer-BioNTech 92 to 95%
• AstraZeneca 70% effective after first dose, which increases after the second dose is given after four to 12 weeks.
• Sinovac is at 65% to 91% among clinically healthy individuals aged 18 to 59 years old.

However, the FDA recommended against the use of Sinovac on health workers because of its low efficacy rate.

But President Rodrigo Duterte questioned this FDA decision, according to presidential spokesman Harry Roque.

Later, the Department of Heath and its panel of vaccine experts eventually recommended the use of Sinovac on health workers, saying that such is beneficial and will prevent 100% moderate and severe COVID-19 symptoms.

On Saturday night, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, former long-time aide of the President, announced that 525,600 doses of Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX facility will be arriving in the country by noon of March 1.

Health workers in the National Capital Region are expected to get their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines by March 1. —LBG, GMA News