Roque: Pinoy teens to get Pfizer vaccine vs. COVID-19 when supply becomes available

Teenagers will be given Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines as soon as the supply becomes available, Malacañang said Thursday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the assurance after the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that it is set to modify the emergency use authorization (EUA) issued to Pfizer-BioNTech to allow its administration to 12 to 15 years old following positive evaluation from the FDA team. 

"Well, inaasahan po natin na kapag dumating iyong ating mga biniling Pfizer ay pupuwede naming makonsidera rin ang ating mga kabataan," Roque said.

(We expect that when our procured Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are delivered, the teenagers will be considered in the COVID-19 vaccination program.)

"Dahil sa ngayon ang only one authorized by the FDA is Pfizer, eh inaasahan po natin na kahit papaano, kapag dumating na iyong biniling Pfizer mag-a-allocate tayo para sa mga kabataan," Roque added.

(Because the FDA has only approved Pfizer-BioNTech for teens, we will allocate such doses for them when it becomes available.)

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the Philippines bought 40 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, but the delivery date has yet to be determined.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also said on Thursday that teenagers cannot be considered in the vaccination program just yet pending enough supply for frontliners, essential workers and the general population. 

Based on the evaluation of the Philippine FDA, Pfizer-BioNTech has an efficacy rate of 95% on study population and 92% across all races.

These rates are the highest among the COVID-19 vaccine brands issued emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration which include Pfizer-BioNTech AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Janssen, Moderna, Covaxin and Sputnik V. — RSJ, GMA News