Duque will not be vaccinated with Sinovac vaccine
Department of Health (DoH) Secretary Francisco Duque III will not be vaccinated with the Sinovac Biotech’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.
On Sunday, Feb. 28, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said that Duque and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. will get their anti-COVID-19 shots using the Sinovac vaccine.
However, this was denied by the DoH in a message sent to reporters also on Sunday night. The DOH said Duque will not be vaccinated due to his age. The Health chief is 64-years-old.
“FTD (Francisco T. Duque) will not be vaccinated with Sinovac as EUA (emergency use authorization) provisions exclude 60 and above,” the DoH said.
“He also underscores that we will follow the prioritization framework, and will ensure that limited doses will go to the HCWs (healthcare workers) first,” it added.
The Food and Drug Administration granted an EUA to Sinovac last Feb. 22. The use of this vaccine is recommended for people aged 18 to 59.
The shipment of the donated 600,000 Sinovac vaccines from Chinese government arrived in the Philippines on Sunday, signalling the start of the country’s vaccination program against the viral illness.
Six hospitals in Metro Manila are among the first to receive the Sinovac vaccines and administer these to health workers---who are the priority sector for the vaccination program.
The government, however, noted that healthcare workers have a choice whether to receive the vaccine or not and just wait for the arrival of other vaccine brands.
The expected delivery of AstraZeneca vaccines on Monday, March 1, will not happen and will be delayed for perhaps a week, said Duque. The delayed delivery was due to global supply problems, he noted.