Published May 5, 2021, 1:44 PM
A member of the country’s vaccine expert panel (VEP) is seeing President Duterte’s decision to receive the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine as a boon for the government’s vaccination program, saying it would encourage more people to get themselves vaccinated.
Dr. Rontgene Solante, chief of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine unit of San Lazaro Hospital, said President Duterte’s gesture could further boost the government’s initiative to inoculate 70 to 80 million Filipinos by end of the year to achieve herd immunity.
President Duterte receives the coronavirus vaccine from Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on May 3, 2021 (Photo: Sen. Go/Facebook)
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“It is really a good thing for the people to witness that our very own President believes in the safety and efficacy of our vaccines,” he said in a press briefing in Manila, Tuesday, May 4.
Duque administered the Sinopharm vaccine to Duterte Monday, May 3. The Health chief explained that the Sinopharm vaccine was covered by the compassionate special permit (CSP) issued to the Presidential Security Group Hospital by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“This was allowed by virtue of the CSP issued to the PSG Hospital. Sinopharm may only use the CSP from the FDA,” said Duque.