FACED with mounting protests from lawmakers, the Executive announced on Monday it will now allow all companies, including those involved in manufacturing tobacco and liquor products and milk formulas, to secure Covid-19 vaccines for their employees.
In an online press briefing on Monday, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11525 of the Covid-19 Vaccination Law was amended for this purpose.
“All private companies, including cigarette companies are now allowed to purchase vaccines,” Roque said, a day after members of the House of Representatives and the Senate warned the National Task Force Against Covid-19 and the Department of Health a provision in a draft IRR on RA 11525 was “illegal” because the prohibition on “sin” product manufacturers was never contemplated in the national vaccination campaign enacted last month.
Meanwhile, Roque explained the said sin product companies will still be required to enter into a tripartite agreement with the government and pharmaceutical firms to make the purchase, since all current Covid-19 vaccines are still not commercially available.
“All the [Covid-19 vaccines] are still covered by the Emergency Use Authorization so they need to enter into an tripartite agreement with the government,” Roque explained.
Under the said tripartite accord, the government will shoulder the indemnification for vaccine recipients, who will suffer any adverse effects.
In the previous such accord entered by some private companies with British vaccine maker, AstraZeneca, half of their purchased doses were donated to the government. Thus, the aborted IRR provision barring the sin product makers from buying vaccines would have also deprived government of a good partner in vaccinating people, at a time when Covid-19 cases are reaching all-time highs, angry lawmakers had pointed out. There were 8,019 cases logged on Monday (March 22).
Roque said he will first seek clarification with Chief implementer of the government’s national policy on Covid-19 Carlito G. Galvez Jr. if the said practice will be required in other similar tripartite agreements since it is not stipulated under RA 11525.
Roque issued the clarification on vaccine procurement after the government earlier announced it is considering barring firms engaged in manufacturing tobacco products and milk formulas from securing Covid-19 vaccines due to existing laws.
Image credits: AP
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