MANILA – Following the rollout of Sinovac Biotech’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in the country, Chinese state firm Sinopharm has applied for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine, Malacañang said on Monday.
“They have already filed with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) an application for EUA for Sinopharm vaccine,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a presser from Philippine General Hospital. “The FDA needs at least 21 days to study applications for EUA.”
Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine was preferred by President Rodrigo Duterte to be vaccinated on him as he was excluded from the priority recipients of shots from another Chinese firm, Sinovac Biotech, for being a senior citizen.
Some of Duterte’s security detail has previously been injected with unauthorized Sinopharm jabs, while former Special Envoy to China and columnist Mon Tulfo revealed that he, along with some senators and some members of Duterte’s Cabinet have been injected with smuggled Sinopharm shots.
The FDA on February issued a “compassionate use license” for the PSG to take 10,000 Sinopharm jabs.
Meanwhile, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said there is no definite date yet for the arrival of 3.5 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine from COVAX facility.
“Wala pa pong definite date. Nakikita natin ang reality on the grounds, acute po ang global shortage of supply,” Galvez said.
“We understand the challenge COVAX is facing because they are supplying the global community. Ang pagkakasabi nila, indefinite [ang date of arrival] pero hopefully first quarter,” he added.
Some 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine from the World Health Organization (WHO)-led COVAX facility were supposed to be delivered on March 1./PN
