The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reminded in a media briefing on Friday, June 30, that a doctor's prescription will be required for purchasing bivalent Covid-19 vaccines once they become available in the country. The supplies will be sold by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, but the price and timeline of distribution are yet to be determined, said Jesusa Joyce Cirunay, director of the Center for Drug Regulation and Research, who was also present at the meeting. "Hindi pa sila nagbigay ng presyo (they have not given a price yet) as of now, we did ask them, but they are still studying the price, at least in the Philippines," she said. Only selected pharmacies and hospitals are allowed to sell it, and FDA warned the public against buying it online or from other unauthorized sellers. Pharmacies that will sell bivalent vaccines also need to have a cold storage facility, which the agency will inspect and monitor to ensure safety. Additionally, only licensed healthcare workers are allowed to administer the jab on-site. Last Monday, the FDA issued a certificate of product registration (CPR) with a five-year validity for Pfizer's bivalent shots.

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[FDA grants certificate of product registration for Comirnaty vaccine](https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/26/fda-grants-certificate-of-product-registration-for-comirnaty-vaccine) There are also more CPR applications currently under evaluation, but the officials refused to disclose the manufacturers' names. "Marami-rami sila (there are many of them) so we are going to release them once they have satisfactorily complied with safety, efficacy, and quality," said Curinay.