Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Mike Defensor on Monday, April 5, said he will distribute Ivermectin — an animal drug that is reported to help prevent and treat COVID-19, to residents of Quezon City.
On his Facebook post, Defensor said his office will give away these anti-parasitic drug for free to the residents while COVID-19 vaccines remain inaccessible to the public.
“Sagot ni Cong. Mike Defensor ang IVERMECTIN niyo habang wala pa ang bakuna,” he said on the social media platform.
In his post, Defensor said those who would be given Ivermectin would be senior citizens and those who are sickly.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health (DOH) had repeatedly cautioned against the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 as it has not been approved for the treatment of humans.
Some doctors, however, have vouched for its efficacy and have been urging the government to make it available to COVID-19 patients unable to be admitted to hospitals that are already overcrowded.