The World Health Organization (WHO) Solidarity Vaccine Trials (WHO SVT) in the country will likely start next month, an official of the Department of Science and Technology said Saturday, March 27.
DOST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara, who leads the Task Group on Vaccine Evaluation and Selection (TG-VES), confirmed that they already received on March 18 the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and specific protocols for the conduct of the vaccine trials in the country.
"We had initial meetings with WHO on the Solidarity Vaccine Trials and we are currently reviewing the protocols,” she told the Manila Bulletin in a Viber message.
"The selection of the vaccines is under way, pending finalization of negotiation of WHO with the selected vaccine manufacturers. Once the vaccines are named, we will apply for clinical trial approval with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and ethics review board,” Guevara said.
During the 39th founding anniversary celebration of the DOST’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) on March 17, Guevara noted that the country’s participation to the WHO SVT is "one of the best strategies that will allow the Philippines to contribute towards providing evidence-based safety and efficacy in humans of candidate vaccines through collective problem-solving, interconnectedness, and inclusivity.”
"Preparations are ongoing for the conduct of the WHO SVT. The WHO SVT Team will confirm with the WHO Headquarters the possibility that Solidarity Vaccine Trials will refrain the use of placebo if there's already widespread vaccination rollout by the DOH,” Guevara said.
Twenty-one areas, mostly in Manila and Quezon City have been identified as sites for the SVT, DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya bared during the virtual town hall meeting organized by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on the “COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment” on March 17.
Based on the documents presented by Montoya, seven areas in Manila City and six areas in Quezon City have been identified as WHO SVT sites. Some areas in Pasay City, San Juan City, Paranaque City and Taguig City have also been selected as vaccine trial sites.
Montoya noted that the Philippines will participate in the WHO SVT as approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) through its Resolution No. 47.
He said the primary goal of the SVT is "to evaluate promptly, efficiently, and reliably the safety and efficacy of candidate vaccine/s."