Doctors who gave unregistered vaccines were liable alongside distributors and importers, according to FDA.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that doctors who gave unregistered vaccines were equally criminally liable with distributors and importers of such products.
On Wednesday, FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said that doctors who prescribed unregistered medicines — including COVID-19 vaccines — were equally criminally liable with sellers and importers of such products.
When asked if those individuals were liable for paving the way for unregistered COVID-19 vaccines Domingo said that the case can be filed against the doctors and distributors/importers because it’s illegal to allow the use of unregistered products.
“Pareho sila na mayroong kaso: iyong doktor na nagbigay ng gamot at iyong importer at distributor kasi bawal magpasok ng gamot na hindi rehistrado,” Domingo said during the Laging Handa briefing.
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Domingo’s comment came two days after San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora admitted that he got two doses of “bootleg” Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine last December 2020. According to Zamora, he received two more doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as advised by his doctor.
Last February, the Food and Drug Administration approved the compassionate use of the said vaccine for the benefit of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) members. It was only last June that the FDA granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Sinopharm.
However, Domingo said that recipients of unregistered COVID-19 vaccines weren’t liable under the law.
“Sa atin pong batas, wala pong pananagutan ang mga nakabili o nabigyan ng mga substandard, unregistered, falsified o poor quality na gamot,” Domingo said.
President Duterte Duterte also received two doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine last May 3 and July 12, both administered by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
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