DOH reminded the public that the Philippine government had no registered COVID-19 vaccine yet.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reminded the public that the Philippine government had no registered COVID-19 vaccine yet.
For a vaccine to be approved in the country, the manufacturer must secure clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Vaccine Experts Panel (VEP), and the Ethics Board.
In an online forum, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that there’s a regulatory process in order to ensure that the vaccine was safe and efficacious.
“Sa ngayon, wala pang registered na COVID-19 vaccine sa FDA kaya dapat mag-ingat po ang ating mga kababayan,” Vergeire said.
In addition, the Department of Health warned manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors against selling unregistered COVID-19 vaccines amidst reports that at least two lawmakers had already received the vaccine.
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Over the weekend, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and Senator Panfilo Lacson got a COVID-19 vaccine that was manufactured by Pfizer.
Senator Lacson, however, didn’t categorically denied Sotto’s claim but hinted that it may only be a joke.
“Ang biro na talagang akala mong totoong totoo, sayaw ng sayaw naniniwala pero actually biro,” Lacson said.
READ ALSO: Lacson Speaks up Anew on Alleged COVID-19 Vaccination
Only COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna had been proven at least 94 percent effective in preventing coronavirus infection after human clinical trials so far, according to reports.
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