President Duterte may now get his second dose of coronavirus vaccine made by Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinopharm after it was granted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an emergency use authorization (EUA).
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Chief Executive has yet to be vaccinated with the second COVID-19 vaccine dose as he was awaiting for the approval of the Department of Health’s (DOH) application for an EUA for the donated Sinopharm vaccines.
Roque was asked by the media where the government would use the 1,000 Sinopharm doses donated to the Philippines. One of those doses was the one Duterte received.
READ: FDA grants EUA to Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine
“Saan po gagamitin? Well, kasama na po diyan ‘yung second dose ni presidente (Where will it be used? Well, the second dose of the president is included on that),” he said Tuesday, June 8, in his virtual presser.
Last month, Dutere received his first dose of Sinopharm vaccine administered by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
At that time, Sinopharm had no emergency use authorization, but it was only given a compassionate special permit for use for the Presidential Security Group.
The President drew strong criticism, so he told the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian to “withdraw” the 1,000 Sinopharm vaccines the Chinese government donated.
READ: Duterte makes public apology after Sinopharm jab: ‘You are right. We are wrong'
Roque explained that the DOH applied for an EUA to accept the donations of the Sinopharm vaccine. The FDA only granted its emergency use approval on Monday, June 7.
Among the COVID-19 vaccines with EUA in the Philippines are Sputnik V of Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac.