Vaccine makers must be liable, says Duterte
MANILA: President Rodrigo Duterte said Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers cannot be given immunity from liability if something goes wrong with the shots they provide for the people.
Duterte said this in response to manufacturers who seek indemnification in case of adverse effects, according to the Philstar.com portal.
“I think we cannot do that even if we wanted to. Tell them it is not possible. If it goes wrong, there is mishandling, or for whatever reason, it is not effective a s a d v e rtised, then they will go after whom? “We are not allowed to sign any agreement to that effect. I do not think that it will be legal. Tell them, it’s illegal for us to do that. Only Congress can do that, no one else,” Duterte said.
The manufacturers’ view was revealed in a meeting with the government’s Covid-19 pandemic task force vaccine czar, Carlito Galvez Jr, on Monday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque clarified that Duterte was emphasising a provision of the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme Act of 2021, which stated that immunity from suit did not cover wilful misconduct and gross negligence.
“The president said it is not possible for the private sector to be fully immune from liability because the law states that while the government will shoulder the indemnity in case of side effects, there are two exceptions: wilful neglect and gross negligence,” Roque said.
Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr said an indemnity provision was needed to secure ample supply of vaccines for the nation’s recovery from the pandemic.
“RA 11525 mandates the creation of a 500 million peso Covid19 National Vaccine Indemnity Fund to compensate all individuals who might experience adverse events following immunisation,” Garbin said.