Choosing COVID-19 vaccine brand not yet an option, according to the FDA
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday said that Filipinos won’t have the luxury of choosing a COVID-19 vaccine brand because of a limited global supply.
Speaking on “The Mangahas Interviews,” FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said that vaccine manufacturers such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer were only capable of supplying the Philippines with a certain amount of COVID-19 vaccines.
“Wala naman po sa ngayon na isang vaccine company that will be able to supply us [with] all our requirements. For example po ang Pfizer, ilang milyon lang ang mai-su-supply sa atin ngayong 2021. So ibig sabihin, talagang meron pang mga 20 to 30 million that will have to be sourced somewhere else, sa iba pong bakuna na ma-a-approve natin sa FDA,” Domingo said.
Domingo also said that Filipinos can’t choose what they wanted because there’s a possibility that what the global supply chain can supply to the Philippines “might not exactly be the brand that we are looking for”.
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Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion on Tuesday said that AstraZeneca had temporarily stopped taking orders because of supply constraints.
Last month, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that Filipinos couldn’t afford to be picky about COVID-19 vaccines.
The said remark was criticized by lawmakers, who said that Malacañang should be building up public trust in COVID-19 vaccines instead of risking a more widespread aversion to vaccination.
Vice President Leni Robredo likewise said that Filipinos should be given an opportunity to choose COVID-19 vaccines since their personal health was at stake.
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