The FDA approved the use of China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine on senior citizens in the Philippines.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday approved the use of China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine on senior citizens in the Philippines.
CNN Philippines reported that the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine on senior citizens.
In a statement, FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said that the Food and Drug Administration was allowing the use of Sinovac on senior citizens after considering the recommendation of the experts as well as the current situation of high coronavirus transmission and limited available COVID-19 vaccines.
Domingo also noted that the inoculation should be preceded by an evaluation of the receiver’s exposure risk and health status to assure that benefits outweigh risks.
READ ALSO: FDA OKs Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use In PH
Previously, the FDA initially recommended the use of China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine on clinically healthy individuals aged 18-59 under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) it granted to the manufacturer due to its low efficacy rate of 50.4 percent for high-risk groups.
Domingo also said that the letter of approval was already sent to the Department of Health (DOH) to inform them of the said change.
In a joint statement, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health said that the health status of senior citizens must be evaluated first before getting vaccinated with China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine.
“The DOH and FDA emphasized that the vaccination of senior citizens using CoronaVac should strictly be preceded by careful evaluation of the person’s health status and exposure risk. There is a Phase I/II safety and immunogenicity data for seniors but efficacy data is not yet sufficient to establish vaccine efficacy,” the statement read.
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