MANILA – Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. has assured the public that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines the government will purchase are safe and effective for inoculation.
“Magtiwala po tayo na ang mga bakunang darating ay daraan sa stringent evaluation ng vaccine experts panel at ng FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Lahat po ng vaccine na makakapasa sa FDA, ina-assure po namin na safe ‘yan,” Galvez said.
“Mga 66 million na po ang nabakanuhan [sa buong mundo]. Maganda po ang resulta, safe po at ‘yung adverse effects ay manageable,” added Galvez.
Sinovac’s human trials abroad have shown inconsistent efficacy rates. It posted a 91 percent efficacy rate in Turkey, but only registered a 65 percent and 50 percent efficacy rate in Indonesia and Brazil, respectively.
The FDA has so far has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Pfizer-BioNTech after it found that the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 95 percent and 92 percent on study population and among all races, respectively.
Other COVID-19 vaccine makers with pending EUA applications before the FDA are AstraZeneca of UK and Oxford University, Gamaleya of Russia, Sinovac of China, and Bharat BioTech of India.
A vaccine must be issued an EUA before it can be legally administered in a country.
The government is eyeing to vaccinate 70 million Filipinos against COVID-19 this year. Vaccine rollout is expected to start in March, the vaccine czar added./PN
