The local distributor of the COVID-19 virus vaccines of China’s state-run Sinopharm assured that only around 20 vials have found their way into the Philippines.
“Maybe pinakamarami na yung sampu or 20 na vials. Yun lang ang information na nakuha ko as of today (The most is around 10 to 20 vials. That’s the only information I received),” said MKG Marketing Incorporated president and chief executive officer (CEO) Mark Tolentino said during an interview over CNN Philippines as he cited reports he received from Sinopharm.
The executive noted that the vials were intended for use in clinical trials.
Tolentino said the information was part of the investigation he conducted amid allegations that there the Sinopharm vaccine is being sold in the blackmarket.
Just last year, President Duterte himself that a number of Filipinos have already used the Sinopharm vaccine.
Tolentino stressed that MKG is the sole and exclusive distributor of the Sinopharm vaccine in the Philippines and nobody else is allowed to distribute this in the country.
However, he said MKG is not involved in the Philippine government negotiations with Sinopharm for the purchase of the vaccine.
At the moment, Tolentino said Sinopharm has yet to decide whether to apply for Emergency Use Authority (EUA) in the Philippines.
“Sinopharm is waiting for the intent coming from the Philippine government because the negotiation of the purchase of Sinopharm will be done through diplomatic channel,” he explained.
“So it means through the Chinese Embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in China,” he added.
Tolentino believes China will be able to give a reasonable price for the vaccine which has been sold to Malaysia at US$30. He noted the vaccine is free in hospitals in China but is sold commercial there at around P5,800.
“This is the biggest vaccine manufacturing in China. In fact, according to the pronouncement of our chairman we can produce at least 1 billion vials of vaccine this 2021,”noted the executive who added that around 10 to 20 million could be alloted to the Philippines.
“Based on record this is the most effective, pinaka-safe and affordable vaccine available as of the present,” he added.
Tolentino noted the Sinopharm vaccine has 79.34 percent efficacy rate among Asians compared to other brands.