A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been signed between the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which outlines their partnership for the conduct of the World Health Organization (WHO) Solidarity Vaccine Trials (SVT) in the country.
DoST Secretary Fortunato dela Pena, during his weekly report Friday, said the MoA was proposed under Resolution No. 68 dated Sept. 3, 2020 by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
The DoST Secretary said that currently, the Philippine team is continuously recruiting personnel needed and coordinating with relevant government agencies and Local Government Unit (LGUs) for the preparations for the conduct of the clinical trials while awaiting the final Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and specific protocols from WHO.
"The Philippine team has already started the lecture training about the protection, safety, and well-being of the participants as well as how adverse events should be recorded and reported during the vaccine clinical trials. The said lecture training is part of the preparatory activities," Dela Pena added.
He also said that letters signed by vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and the Guidelines for the Local Government Units’ Assistance on the Implementation of the WHO SVT were sent last Jan. 13 to the mayors where the trials will be conducted.
DoST also sent a follow-up letter to the WHO Country Office regarding the final start date of the trials.
Dela Pena stated that President Duterte also approved additional funding in response to the request of the WHO for the Philippines to expand the trial in the essence of the study objectives to conduct a rapid, community-based enrollment in hotspot areas.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is currently processing the release of the funds to DoST.