Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines could soon be available for commercial consumption in the country, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. revealed on Saturday, June 12.
Galvez said the manufacturers of the American vaccines -- Moderna, Inc. and Pfizer-BioNTech -- have already applied for "full authorization" status from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Vaccines that are given full authorization status by the WHO can be marketed directly to consumers and be bought from private companies.
"Moderna and Pfizer are now applying for full authorization. They might be open commercially by September or October," Galvez said.
To date, available vaccines in the country were only authorized by the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use.
This means that the life-saving jabs are given for free by the government and are not allowed to be sold commercially to the public.
However, the application for full status of Pfizer and Moderna came as the national government started the inoculation of more priority sectors in its immunization program amid the limited supply of vaccines.
Last June 7, the inclusion of the economic frontliners (A4) in the immunization program officially started along with frontline healthcare workers (A1), senior citizens (A2), and persons with co-morbidities (A3). Around 35.5 million Filipinos belong to the A4 priority group, of which, 13 million are located in the NCR (National Capital Region) Plus.
Meanwhile, Galvez had also said that the inoculation of indigent Filipinos, who belong to the A5 priority group with a total population of 8.5 million, may also begin later this month if there are sufficient supply of vaccines.