HTAC recommends procurement of CoronaVac

The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday, March 6, announced that the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) has given the government clearance to acquire CoronaVac, the vaccine manufactured by the Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

"The HTAC deems the use of CoronaVac (Sinovac) as beneficial and likewise poses no objections to its procurement by the DOH," DOH said in an advisory.

The HTAC forwarded the results of their assessment encompassing health, economics, ethical and equity considerations on March 3, 2021.

Under Republic Act No. 11223 (The Universal Health Care Law), the DOH and PhilHealth may only procure or invest in health technologies that have been positively recommended by the independent HTAC.

The Philippine government received the first shipment of 600,000 doses of the CoronaVac which was donated by China last February 28.

Last January, the government announced that it has secured 25 million doses of Sinovac vaccines.