The country’s vaccine expert panel will meet on Wednesday, August 12, with Russia's vaccine manufacturer, to discuss the developments surrounding their COVID-19 vaccine and how the Philippines would be able to participate in the clinical trials.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is the lead agency for the conduct of clinical trials for potential COVID-19 vaccines.
“Ngayong araw na ito, meron scheduled meeting na ang DOST with the manufacturer from Russia. Yung Gamaleya ,” said Vergeire in a media briefing.
“So itong bakuna na ito, itong Gamaleya---ito ay nasa Phase III clinical trials. Ang pag-uusapan ngayon with DOST ---how we can possibly have the clinical trial here also in the Philippines,” she added.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country became the first nation in the world to approve a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing. The Russian COVID-19 vaccine was called "Sputnik V," in reference to the world's first artificial satellite by the Soviet Union.
The candidate vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute in Moscow with assistance from Russia’s Defense Ministry.
Vergeire assured that the Russian vaccine will undergo a strict study and regulatory process here in the Philippines.
“We can assure the public na atin itong padadaanin sa mga procedures natin here dito sa Pilipinas, even though dumaan na iyan sa mga regulatory procedures sa Russia ,” she said.
“As I've said we have the vaccine expert panel, we also have the Food and Drug Administration to do that because we have experts on that---pag-aaralan natin itong dossier nila ,” she added.