Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go on Monday said he would ask President Duterte to certify as urgent a measure that would indemnify vaccine recipients who sustain injury or adverse side effects when jabbed with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.
(OFFICE OF SEN. BONG GO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Go, a former Special Assistant of President Duterte, issued the statement on the proposed vaccine indemnification measure.
Go, chairman of the Senate health committee, said the proposed Vaccine Indemnification Fund is intended to be earmarked exclusively to compensate and indemnify identified vaccine recipients who sustain injury in connection with the use of the vaccines and where the adverse effects are attributable to the vaccination.
According to vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., all vaccine manufacturers require indemnity and liability frameworks which include setting up an indemnification fund backed by legislation to safeguard them from possible damage suits.
Galvez said they have informed the national task force (NTF) that without legislation covering indemnification, the vaccine makers might not be able to supply the vaccines.
’’Importante na maisabatas ito dahil malaking parte ito ng ating National COVID-19 Vaccine Roadmap at kailangan ito upang tuloy-tuloy na ang pag-rollout ng mga bakuna sa ating bansa (It is important that this measure be passed into law as part of the country’s COVID-19 Vaccine Roadmap and for the continued roll out of vaccines in the country),’’ he explained.
Go said the NTF and government finance managers are attending to these. ‘’Kasalukuyang ginagawa na rin ang report ng Senate Committee on Finance, sa pamumuno ni Senator Sonny Angara, upang maisama ito sa ide-deliberate sa plenaryo. Pinag-aaralan na rin kung saan kukunin ang pondo (Senator Juan Edgardo ‘’Sonny’’ Angara is drafting his Senate finance committee report on the issue for floor debate. They are studying where to source the funds needed),’’ he added.