President Rodrigo R. Duterte is set to get his second shot of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by China’s state-owned pharmaceutical firm Sinopharm.
This, after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday that it issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the 1,000 doses of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines that were donated by the Chinese government.
Some of Sinopharm vaccines were used for the inoculation of members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), as well as Duterte, who got his first Sinopharm jab last month.
In an online press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government will now be using the remaining donated doses.
One of the said doses will be used for the second jab of Duterte.
He noted Duterte chose not to get his second until FDA issues an EUA for Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine.
The EUA is an assurance from the FDA that a vaccine is effective and safe to use
Duterte had ordered the return of the remainder of the 1,000 Sinopharm jabs to the Chinese government after he was criticized for using the vaccine, when it still lacked an EUA from FDA.
The government did not return the Sinopharm doses and instead let the Department of Health (DOH) apply for the necessary EUA so it could be used locally.
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