DOH to file EUA application for Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine

The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said it will file an application for emergency use authorization (EUA) of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinopharm.

“The reason why we are doing this is merong posibilidad na magiging government to government ang transaksyon o negotiations for Sinopharm (there is a possibility that the negotiations for Sinopharm will be government to government),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online briefing.

“This is something that we do so that we can facilitate the process of receiving vaccines but of course everything undergoes the strict regulatory process,” she added.

Over the weekend, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III ordered the DOH to file an EUA application for the Sinopharm vaccine after it was approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization. 

The WHO approval means Sinopharm's vaccine can be included in the COVAX Facility, a vaccine-sharing initiative that the Philippines benefits from. Vergeire also said this will help speed up local regulators’ review of the vaccine. 

“Ito po ay inaayos na natin ngayon, kailangan lang natin makuha ‘yung mga dokumento at the dossier of Sinopharm (We are processing the EUA application right now. We just need to get the documents and dossier of Sinopharm),” Vergeire said.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously said three firms expressed an intent to seek an EUA for the Sinopharm vaccine but none of them has so far submitted the required documents.

FDA chief Eric Domingo also confirmed that the government, through the DOH, can apply for an EUA. 

The Philippines has so far granted an EUA to the vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Gamaleya Institute, Bharat Biotech, and Johnson & Johnson. 

Earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte received a shot of Sinopharm vaccine despite its lack of a Philippine EUA. The Chinese vaccine was brought into the country under a compassionate special permit. 

Over 1.7 million individuals have been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca, Sinovac, or Sputnik V jabs as of May 4.  —KBK, GMA News