The Department of Health (DOH) reiterated that there is still no approved Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in the Philippines following a report that some lawmakers have allegedly gotten the shot.
According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, an access to the vaccine must only be presented if it is registered or that the clinical trials have already started for the vaccine.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto earlier disclosed that Senator Panfilo Lacson and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez have received the COVID-19 vaccine. He described the vaccine as similar to the developing vaccine of Pfizer which has recently announced its high efficacy rate.
Lacson and Romualdez have not yet spoken about the issue. But the DOH warned against companies selling unregistered vaccines.
“Tayo po ay may batas laban sa pamimigay, pagbebenta ng mga bagay or technology katulad ng bakuna na wala pang rehistro ng Food and Drug Administration. (We have a law against the distribution, selling of objects or technology such as an unregistered vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).)” – Report from Mark Fetalco