(Eagle News) — The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the issuance of a “compassionate use license” for 10,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the Chinese state-owned Sinopharm for use primarily for members of the Presidential Security Group.
This was announced by Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque in a media briefing on Thursday, Feb. 5.
“Nag-isyu po ng compassionate use license ang ating FDA para sa sampung libong dosage ng Sinopharm,” he said.
He said that this will be used for the PSG, the elite group in charge in providing close-in security for President Rodrigo Duterte.
PSG members had earlier been given shots of the Sinopharm vaccine. Malacanang, however, did not say how many had been vaccinated by the end of last year.
The 10,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine are expected to be used for the required second dose of the vaccine.
The Sinopharm vaccine, like the Sinovac vaccine, uses inactivated virus in two doses.
The use of inactivated viruses in creating vaccines is considered the traditional or classic way in producing vaccines, and are also considered one of the safest vaccines with no reported severe adverse reaction.
(Eagle News Service)
