Palace: Duterte ordered LGUs not to tell COVID-19 vaccine brand to avoid crowds

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered local government units not to disclose the COVID-19 vaccine brand available in vaccination sites to prevent crowds amid the pandemic, Malacañang said Thursday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. made the announcement after the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said that the vaccine brand will only be announced on site to prevent too many people from trooping to sites offering their preferred vaccine.

Roque assured the public that all vaccines granted emergency use authority by the Food and Drug Administration are safe and effective.

Duterte's order came following reports of overcrowding at vaccination sites in Manila and Paranaque cities where people queued for hours to get their preferred Pfizer-BioNTech shot.

"Ipinagutos po iyan ng Presidente kasi nakita niya na nawala ang social distancing sa pagbabakuna ng Pfizer-BioNTech [The President made the order after seeing people coming in droves to get Pfizer-BioNTech]," Roque said during the Palace briefing.

"Ang pinakaligtas na bakuna ay ang nasa inyong braso [The safest vaccine is the one in your arm]," Roque added.

Roque also noted that the government will not deploy vaccines which are harmful to people and denied claims that the non-immediate disclosure of brand was violation of informed consent.

"Lahat ng bakuna na binibigay ng pamahalaan ay ligtas at epektibo [All vaccines administered by the government are safe and effective]," he said, even if the efficacy rate of the different COVID-19 vaccines varied during human trials.

"This does not violate informed consent because all vaccines underwent the same process [in securing emergency use authority]," Roque added.

The highest efficacy rate among COVID-19 vaccine brands issued emergency use authority in the Philippines is Pfizer-BioNTech with 92% to 95%, while the lowest is Sinovac with 65% to 91% for ages 18 to 59 and 51% for elderly and health workers. -MDM, GMA News