DOH to probe unauthorized Covid-19 inoculations

MANILA – A health official on Wednesday said the government would investigate individuals who still undergo unauthorized coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination and give sanctions for possible violations.

“‘Katulad nyan may lumalabas pa rin na ibang tao na umaamin na nabakunahan sila, ito po ay makakasama sa investigation, and all of these things kapag nakita natin na hindi ayon sa mga batas na meron tayo dito sa ating bansa (We’ll include in the investigation individuals who say they’ve been vaccinated, and all of these things if they’re not aligned with the law they) will be considered illegal,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media briefing.

Vergeire was reacting to a report that newspaper columnist and Special Envoy to China Ramon Tulfo admitted he was inoculated with an unregistered Covid-19 vaccine from China’s

Sinopharm.

In a radio interview, Tulfo said he wanted to see the effects of the Covid-19 vaccine on him as he is considering to be a Sinopharm vaccine distributor in the country and that he “did not commit any wrongdoing” for being vaccinated.

“So, kung sino man po ‘yung mga kababayan natin o di kaya ay distributors na nagbibigay ng mga bakuna na wala pang emergency use authorization (EUA) ay magkakaroon ng appropriate investigation, and if there will be violations magkaka-sanction, so titingnan po natin ito (So individuals or distributors providing vaccines without EUA will undergo appropriate investigation and will be sanctioned if there are possible violations, so we’ll look into this),” Vergeire said.

To date, the Food and Drug Administration has granted EUA to only three Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac.

( PNA)