Palace: WHO approval of Sinovac COVID-19 jab for emergency use to boost vaccine confidence

Malacañang on Wednesday welcomed the inclusion of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine in the World Health Organization's emergency use list, saying this will boost vaccine confidence in the country.

"We are happy about that news because this will surely boost confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines with an additional institution saying Sinovac is safe and effective," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

"This is an added assurance given by a United Nations agency that the vaccine is safe and effective," he added.

The government has repeatedly urged the public to take the vaccine that is available amid the apparent preference to western vaccines.  Sinovac is a Chinese pharmaceutical firm.

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine for emergency use in February this year. It was the vaccine used when the government officially rolled out its COVID-19 vaccination program in March.

Based on Philippine FDA evaluation,  Sinovac's efficacy rate is 65% to 91% for those aged 18 to 59. Its efficacy rate on health workers and elderly are at 50.4% and 51%, respectively.

Of the Philippines' around 8 million doses of COVID-19 supply so far, five million doses are from Sinovac. —KBK, GMA News