China exec's remark on Chinese vaccine's efficacy won't affect Philippines' order from Sinovac —Galvez

The remark of China's top disease control official on Chinese vaccines' low protection against coronavirus won't affect the 25 million doses of Sinovac ordered by the Philippine government, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Tuesday.

“Di naman po siguro kasi nakita naman po natin na ang Sinovac ay ginagamit ng more or less 15 to 20 countries and talagang na-accelerate po  ang kanilang vaccination like Turkey, Chile, tsaka other countries in Southeast Asia like Indonesia,” Galvez said in an interview on ANC.

(It will not affect our procurement because we can see that Sinovac is being used in more or less 15 to 20 countries and it really accelerated the vaccination program of countries such as Turkey, Chile, and other Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia.)

Galvez added that the government is considering the “most important” factor in using the vaccine, which is the high efficacy rate in the prevention of deaths and hospitalization due to COVID-19.

Asked if the government will change its protocols in using Sinovac in its vaccination program, Galvez said the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) will ask Sinovac for any evaluation and recommendation following the latest pronouncement of director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Gao Fu.

“I believe the FDA will also ask Sinovac for its comment on the pronouncement of the Chinese official… We will see what will be the evaluation and recommendation of Sinovac company,” he said.

The Philippine government will also look for other options in using Sinovac including the lengthening of the gap between the inoculation of its first and second doses.

According to an Associated Press report, China’s top disease control official, Gao Fu, said at a conference that the Chinese vaccine efficacy rates needed improving.

Meanwhile, in exclusive interview with state-run media Global Times, Gao clarified that his statement is intended to open discussions on adjustment of vaccination procedures and sequential inoculation of different types of vaccines to improve vaccine efficacy.

Currently, Sinovac's CoronaVac is the COVID-19 vaccine that is widely used in the Philippine government’s vaccination program.

The Philippines procured 25 million of Sinovac vaccines and 1.5 million of these already arrived in the country.

Aside from Sinovac, 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine from the global aid initiative COVAX Facility were so far used in the country’s inoculation program.

Initially, the Philippine government only used AstraZeneca vaccine for senior citizens while Sinovac jabs are administered to persons aged 18 to 59. However, various local government units faced a shortage in vaccine supply.

The FDA has since allowed Sinovac’s use for the senior population.  —KBK, GMA News