The national government cautioned the public Wednesday, March 17, against patronizing anti-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines that are allegedly being sold by some organizations and individuals, including a group of Filipino-Chinese businessmen.
In a joint statement released by the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, Department of Health (DOH), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they stressed that there remains no COVID-19 vaccine brand which can be sold commercially, noting that the vaccines currently used in the inoculation program are provided to medical frontliners for free.
"The DOH, FDA, and NTF reiterate that the EUA (emergency use authorization) granted to any COVID-19 vaccine is neither a marketing authorization nor a Certificate of Product Registration, meaning that these cannot be sold or purchased the public," the joint statement read.
The joint statement was released after NTF chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. received a report about a group of Filipino-Chinese businessmen who allegedly will conduct their own vaccination drive next month using China's Sinovac vaccines.
A poster bearing the logo of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) made rounds in social media as it showed that it was offering Sinovac vaccines to the families of the federation for P2,000.
However, FFCCCII President Henry Lim Bon Liong reportedly said that they are not re-selling Sinovac vaccines and the poster was "not authorized" by the federation.
Prior to this, Galvez confirmed in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday that the FFCCCII have talked to the national government to express its intent of purchasing Sinovac vaccines.
The vaccine vzar, however, emphasized that re-selling of COVID-19 vaccines is not allowed by the national government.
So far, only three vaccine brands have been given an EUA by the FDA: Pfizer from the United States, AstraZeneca from a British-Swede drugmaker, and China's Sinovac.
The government agencies warned that the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising, or sponsorship of any unregistered health product is also prohibited and punishable under the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.
According to the law, violators will face imprisonment ranging from one to 10 years or a fine of not less than P50,000 but not more than P500,000.
If the offender is a manufacturer, importer or distributor of the health product, the penalty will be at least five years to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of at least P500,000 but not more than P5 million.
An additional fine of one percent of the economic value or cost of the product or violation, or P1,000 will be meted against the violator, whichever is higher, for each day of continuing violation, the law said.