The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reminded on Friday, March 19, that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine cannot be sold to the public.
“As of this time, all of the vaccines that are being used in the public and private hospitals come from the Department of Health and these cannot be sold and no patient can be charged in using them,” said FDA Director-General Rolando Enrique Domingo in a press briefing.
Domingo made the remarks amid reports that some institutions were offering Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine with a corresponding price.
“Once all of the vaccines that we bought are coming in or even vaccines that will be procured through tripartite agreement, it must be clear that vaccines cannot be sold. Walang commercial sale ng vaccines. Kailangan ibibigay ito ng libre (it must be given free of charge),” he said.
The FDA chief said that the emergency use authorization being granted to COVID-19 vaccines is not similar to a Certificate of Product Registration.
“The EUA is not a marketing authorization or a Certificate of Product Registration. We have not issued any Certificate of Product Registration for any COVID-19 vaccine, so no COVID-19 vaccine can be sold in the market commercially. Hence, this EUA cannot be used as an authorization to market the vaccine commercially,” he said.