Sinopharm wary of entering PHL due to reported fake doses of its vaccine, says Roque

Chinese company Sinopharm is wary of rolling out its vaccines in the Philippines amid the proliferation of fake doses in the local market, presidential spokesman Harry Roque bared Thursday.

In a "24 Oras" report of Bernadette Reyes, Roque said Sinopharm also took issue with the possible side effects of the fake doses to those who would receive it, which could make the company liable for it.

"Yun ang concern ng Sinopharm. Kapag pumasok siya at maraming adverse effect yung fake na Sinopharm, siya ang mapagbintangan," said Roque.

(That's Sinopharm's concern. If there would be adverse effects in the fake  Sinopharm vaccines, they will be liable.)

Roque also confirmed that the fake Sinopharm vaccine was being made by a factory in Binondo, Manila, which was already closed by the Chinese government.

In December last year, President Rodrigo Duterte spilled the beans about members of the PSG who were inoculated with Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine smuggled into the country.

Roque, meanwhile, assured the public that the vaccines injected to PSG members are authentic.

"'Yung tinurok sa PSG is not fake, it's authentic," the Palace official said.

(PSG received authentic vaccines, not fake.)

Earlier, the Food and Drug Administration said the Chinese biotech firm has no pending application for emergency use of its COVID-19 drug.

Also in February, the FDA approved China's Sinopharm for compassionate use for the benefit of the President's security personnel.

Currently, at least 126 personnel of the Presidential Security Group were infected with the severe viral ailment. Of the number, 45 are active cases.—Consuelo Marquez/LDF, GMA News