The Department of Health (DOH) vouched Saturday, May 1, for the safety of the Sputnik V coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines, which are expected to arrive in the country this afternoon.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Sputnik V vaccine, which was developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute, got the nod of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is “safe” for public use.

"Kailangan po maintindihan ng ating mga kababayan na ang Sputnik V po ay nabigyan na ng emergency use authority (EUA) ng ating Food and Drug Administration so ibig sabihin, napag-aralan na po yung dossier ng Sputnik V at nakita naman na katanggap tanggap at ligtas ito para sa ating mga kababayan (Our countrymen need to understand that Sputnik V has already been granted an emergency use authority by our Food and Drug Administration so it means that the dossier of Sputnik V has been studied and it was found to be acceptable and safe for our countrymen),” she said during the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.

Brazil decided to halt the import of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines after its health regulator supposedly uncovered that the vaccine carried a live version of a common cold-causing virus.

Vergeire said the manufacturer of Sputnik V “has the responsibility” to submit “these kind of findings.”

“Sa ngayon po wala pa naman ho tayong natatanggap na ganito at saka yung nilabas dyan sa Brazil , dito po ay based on their evaluation, these are just initial conclusions (Right, we have not received anything like this and the information released in Brazil, that is based on their evaluation and these are just initial conclusions),” she said.

When asked if the FDA will review the issuance of EUA to Sputnik V and that the recent development in Brazil will affect the vaccination, the DOH official said, "Kapag po nagbigay po ng submission ng additional documents kung sakaling may ganitong findings , kailangan po magsubmit ang manufacturers sa FDA and then we will re-evaluate (If there will be submission of additional documents, if just in case there are findings like these, the manufacturers have to submit to the FDA and we will re-evaluate).”

She said the initial findings of the Brazilian health regulator Anvisa must be studied, as the government continues its vaccination program.

“Sa ngayon pong mga initial na sinasabi ng regulatory authorities sa ibang bansa, kailangan lang pong pagaralan lang at tuloy po ang ating pagbabakuna at yung pong Sputnik V doses ay dadating ngayong hapon, (Right now, the initial findings of regulatory authorities of other countries, that must be studied and we will still continue our vaccination and the Sputnik V doses will arrive this afternoon.),” Vergeire said.

National Task Force (NTF) Deputy Chief Implementer and Testing Czar Vince Dizon said Saturday, May 1, the first batch of 15,000 Sputnik V vaccine doses will arrive this Saturday at around 5 p.m.

http://https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/01/initial-15k-doses-of-sputnik-v-vaccines-to-arrive-today-dizon/