The coronavirus vaccines are not yet for sale in the country.
President Duterte has ordered authorities to run after people behind the reported sale of coronavirus vaccines in the country.
Amid efforts to protect public health and contain the spread of the coronavirus, the President asserted that only the government could distribute the vaccine supplies to the people for now. Duterte issued the directive to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. during a meeting with top government officials on pandemic response Monday, August 17.
"There are reports of, you know, not --- not really validated, but reports about vaccines being sold somewhere o ano. True or not, I would like to ask you to kindly see to it that nobody but nobody holds or would possess vaccines na para sa gobyerno ‘yung atin (intended for the government)," he said during his televised address.
"Iyong supply natin, whether donated or ating binili (Our supply, whether donated or purchased), should not be in the hands, not even one vial of it, in private hands. Kindly see to it na ano na hindi magamit ng iba (these are not used by others)," he said.
Of the 42.5 vaccine supplies in the country, more than 27.8 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered since the government started the inoculation campaign since March. In a race to inoculate 50 to 70 million adult Filipinos before the end of the year or early 2022, around 12.5 million Filipinos have already been fully vaccinated.
The coronavirus vaccines currently available in the country are so far given emergency use authorization (EUA), which does not cover commercial sale and distribution.
Galvez, who attended the meeting Monday night, said they would comply with the President's directive. The former military chief also promised to continue to coordinate with the police and military in the crackdown on the illegal sale of COVID-19 vaccines.
Duterte told Galvez: "You can always coordinate. We are here."
Galvez said he has already requested the National Bureau of Investigation and the Food and Drug Administration to conduct the necessary investigation. He noted that authorities actually made an apprehension which he claimed became a huge deterrent against those engaged in unlawful sale of COVID-19 vaccines.
"So ongoing, sir, ‘yung ano, sir, natin, mga surveillance, sir, natin with the NBI and also with the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the PNP (Philippine National Police). And also, we also asked the FDA to ano, to really ano, to really continue ‘yung --- continue, sir, with surveillance. We will comply po, sir, Mr. President," Galvez said.