The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Friday, Jan. 15, that 5,901 participants of the World Health Organization (WHO) Solidarity Vaccine Trials in the country have already received their first dose of jabs against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
DOST Secretary Fortunato "Boy" T. de la Peña also reported that as of Jan. 4, at least 3,840 participants have already completed the two-dose schedule of the first study vaccine.
"The recruitment of participants for the trials is ongoing in ten places in Metro Manila," de la Peña said in his taped report.
Included in the list of trial sites were Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, Makati Medical Center, Quirino Memorial Center, St. Luke's Medical Center, Medical Center Manila, Baguio General Hospital, and San Juan De Dios Hospital, as well as two community-based centers in Sampaloc, Manila and Crame Quezon City
The Solidarity Trials for Vaccines was organized by the WHO and recruited its first volunteer on Sept. 30.
The Philippines is one of the three countries in the world where the Solidarity Trial for Vaccines was launched, alongside Colombia and Mali.