The coronavirus vaccines developed by Chinese drugmaker Sinovac Biotech will be delivered to the Philippines only after the company secures approval from local drug regulators.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced Thursday that Sinovac has decided to wait for the emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before sending the vaccine supplies to the country.
The Palace earlier announced that around 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines donated by China are expected to arrive in the country on Feb. 23.
Roque claimed that the arrival of the Chinese donated vaccines was already "etched in stone."
The government has previously secured 25 million doses of COVID-19 doses from Sinovac under a term sheet. The initial supply was expected to arrive this month and the rest will arrive in batches from March until December.
"Bagamat sinabi ko na parating na rin ang Sinovac, ang Sinovac naman na donated ng China ay nais muna nilang hintayin ang EUA bago nila iparating sa ating bansa 'yung kanilang donated na Sinovac (Although I said the Sinovac vaccines are forthcoming, the Sinovac donated by China wants to wait for the EUA before they deliver the vaccines)," Roque said during a televised press briefing Thursday.
Roque admitted that there might be a delay in the vaccine delivery if the FDA won't issue the emergency approval for Sinovac soon.
"So kapag hindi lumabas ang EUA, eh baka may maantala rin 'yung pagdating ng 600,000 na Sinovac. pero mas mabuti talaga na nandiyan na ang EUA para sigurado na pagdating , gamit kaagad (So if the EUA is not issued, the arrival of the 600,000 Sinovac doses might be delayed, but it is better to have the EUA so once they arrive, they can be immediately used)," he said.
"Kung hindi talaga pumasa sa EUA ng ating FDA, malaman natin para malaman natin na (If it does not secure EUA from FDA, we will also finally know)," he said.
Sinovac has filed an application or emergency approval for its vaccines before the FDA. The drug regulator however reportedly could not yet decide on the application due to incomplete documents.