Drilon sees Duterte’s Sinopharm COVID-19 jab a personal decision

President Rodrigo Duterte’s inoculation of unregistered Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines is a personal decision, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Wednesday.

“In my own personal view, the matter of inoculation is a personal decision. The brand that they use is a matter that you, yourself decide,” Drilon said in an ANC interview when asked about Duterte’s recent vaccination of China-made Sinopharm vaccine.

“Yes, there is no Emergency Use Authorization, only a compassionate use, which means that if something happens to you because you disregarded the advice of the [Food and Drug Administration], that you are on your own lookout. You will be the one that will be prejudiced by your own act,” he added.

Drilon said that the FDA can only “say so much” but the choice on possibly experiencing adverse effects from getting a vaccine that does not carry an EUA is “your own decision.”

On Monday, Duterte has been inoculated against COVID-19 using Sinopharm vaccine.

Earlier this year, Duterte said he would not be given

A month later, Duterte said he changed his mind, saying he would publicly get vaccinated.

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

PSG Chief Jesus Durante III later confirmed the President’s information, saying that the security group members inoculated themselves with Sinopharm.

It was only in February this year that the FDA granted compassionate use permit for 10,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine for the use of PSG members.

A compassionate use permit, however, only allows for legal administration of COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines and is not tantamount to the FDA endorsing the product’s safety and efficacy.—AOL, GMA News