Press Release
Drilon: Blanket immunity for vaccine makers is against the law and public policy
Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon said the government cannot grant absolute and blanket immunity to vaccine manufacturers, saying it is against the law and contrary to public policy.
Drilon backed Vaccine Czar Sec. Carlito Galvez who earlier said that the government cannot agree to a full immunity for vaccine manufacturers. Galvez revealed late Wednesday that there are vaccine makers which demand full immunity but said the government cannot do so out of concerns over malpractices and willful misconduct. Under the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act Congress passed last February 22, COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers are immune from suits for claims arising out of the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, but not for willful misconduct or gross negligence, Drilon said.
(Photo by John Cairns / University of Oxford / AFP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Aside from Go and Angara among the principal-authors, 15 more senators have co-authored Senate Bill (SB) 2057 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Bill.
Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, has co-sponsored SB 2057 designed to hasten the procurement of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines.
The measure allows local government units (LGUs) to procure vaccines and make advance payments, and to include an indemnification fund requested by vaccine manufacturers to cover the possible expenses and claims arising from adverse effects of the vaccines.
According Angara, the principal sponsor of the measure to hasten the process of procurement and administration of the COVID-19 vaccines, the measure gives authority to the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 to “undertake negotiated procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and the ancillary supplies and services
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