Chinese traders’ group asks for review of Sinovac EUA to include senior citizens

AGROUP of Chinese businessmen in the country has appealed to the government’s pandemic task force to reconsider the emergency approval for Covid-19 vaccines from China that excludes their use to the aging population.

“Since we have preference for Sinovac that is developed using traditional ways, we are also requesting the IATF [Inter-agency Task Force] for the reexamination of Sinovac’s emergency use authorization [EUA] for the seniors or elderly ages 60 and above,” Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) President Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong said at the recent virtual “Pandesal Forum.”

Developed by Chinese drugmaker Sinovac Biotech, it was the first coronavirus vaccine delivered to the Philippines last month after the company secured approval from local drug regulators.

Upon issuance of the EUA, the local Food and Drug Administration announced that Sinovac could be used among clinically healthy individuals aged 18 to 59 years old.

“Many of the Philippines’s top active entrepreneurs and even leaders of our Federation, like me, are senior citizens,” he said, which is why they should not be exempted from getting the Chinese jab.

In fact, he said that there have been some well-publicized Sinovac vaccinations of people above the 59 age limit, such as Brazilian football legend Pele, who is 80 years old; Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, 78 years old; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 67 years old; and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, 63 years old.

“Many of our Federation officers who are entrepreneurs and philanthropists are seniors too and they are very hardworking and very active. And so, we hope that this restriction would be lifted so that we senior sin the business sector could be vaccinated, so that our entrepreneurs could continue to take risks, invest and help in Philippine economic recovery,” Lim said.

Another senior person of high prominence, he noted, is Pope Francis, who has been citing the importance of immunization in the fight against this global pandemic, urging everyone to be vaccinated and reminding people of their moral obligation to receive the Covid-19 vaccines to protect not only their own lives but those of others.

“We at FFCCCII believe it is our moral obligation to not only be vaccinated, but to come out in public to help our government to promote public acceptance of vaccines. Indeed, we can only win this pandemic if we unite ourselves, and think of what’s best for our fellowmen,” the FFCCCII leader said. “Let’s not spread the virus of division. Instead, let’s spread hope, optimism and unity so we can start our Philippine economic recovery soonest and continue moving forward.”

Their organization, according to him, fully supports the government’s ongoing national vaccination program, which targets to inoculate 70 million people or two-thirds of the population this year.

In doing so, the FFCCCII has plans to buy 500,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines for economic frontliners to safeguard the entrepreneurs and workers who are at the forefront of Philippine socioeconomic development.

“Now that the vaccination of medical frontliners and uniformed personnel has started, our Federation would like to request the IATF to also allow the vaccination of our country’s economic frontliners such as entrepreneurs with their employees and workers nationwide, most especially the MSMES [micro, small and medium enterprises],” Lim said.

MSMES comprise 99.5 percent of registered businesses operating in the country and they generate 62.4 percent of employment opportunities nationwide.

“They are the most affected by the pandemic and having a vaccination program for our economic frontliners would give confidence to restart and further open up most businesses. As the backbone of the Philippine economy, they play a big role in reviving our economy amid the pandemic, and in restoring and creating jobs,” he said.

Lim disclosed that their planned undertaking will be financed by voluntary donations and purchases by their over 170 Filipino Chinese chambers and trade organizations nationwide.

He added that they will partner with major hospitals in the country and the vaccinations will take place in auditoriums or other conducive sites near any health-care institutions.