Lorenzana reacted to reports that he had been allegedly inoculated with China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana recently reacted to reports that he had been allegedly inoculated with China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine.
In a report on Inquirer, Lorenzana denied the reports that he allegedly had been vaccinated with China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City.
Lorenzana said in a Viber message to reporters that it just seemed that he’s being vaccinated because they “had a photo opportunity”.
“Photo ops lang,” Lorenzana said.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III — who were also at the launching of the COVID-19 vaccination at the Southern Philippines Medical Center — likewise said in earlier text messages to Inquirer denying that Lorenzana had been allegedly vaccinated with Sinovac’s CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine.
Lorenzana’s message came after GMA News Online reported that Lorenzana allegedly received the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech despite Health Secretary Francisco Duque III’s advice against the said vaccine because of his age.
READ ALSO: DOH Sec. Duque To Be Vaccinated With AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine
Earlier, Lorenzana said that he would have wanted to receive the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in order “to build trust and confidence among personnel”.
However, health experts advised that those over 59 years old shouldn’t be vaccinated with the said vaccine from China. The Food and Drug Administration recommended using Sinovac’s CoronaVac only for clinically healthy individuals aged 18 to 59 years old.
This, as clinical trials in Turkey and Indonesia showed that the said vaccine was more effective on the said age group.
Lorenzana himself had defended the Philippine government’s use of Sinovac’s CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine in the vaccination drive, saying “fake news” about it discouraged Filipinos from getting inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine.
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