The Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) warned the public against individuals or organizations offering or selling Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines.
The said agencies reiterated that the emergency use authority (EUA) granted to the COVID-19 vaccines is not a marketing authorization or a Certificate of Product Registration. “Stern warning” was also given to the groups involved in activities such as selling, purchasing, or administering the COVID-19 vaccines.
“The manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising, or sponsorship of any unregistered health product is also prohibited and will be penalized under the FDA Act of 2009.”
The DOH, FDA, and NTF pointed out that individuals caught participating in such acts may face imprisonment from 1 to 10 years or a fine of ₱50,000 to ₱500,000.
“Meanwhile, if the offender is a manufacturer, importer, or distributor of the health product, the penalty is at least 5 years up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of at least 500,000 but not more than 5,000,000. Furthermore, there will be an additional fine of 1% of the economic value/cost of the product or the violation or 1,000,000 whichever is higher for each day of continuing violation,” their joint statement disclosed.
Products can be seized by the FDA without hearing or court order “if found with reasonable cause”. –NGS, PTV News Online
