Under Resolution No. 39, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the cooperation of the Philippines with Academia Sinica, Adimmune Corporation, Chinese Academy of Science-Guangzhou Institute of Bio-Medicine and Health, Sinopharma-Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, and the Beijing Institute for the clinical trial of possible vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will lead in the participation of the Philippines in the said trial. The Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will also assist in the said endeavor.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Duterte will consider the plan of the DOST to establish research centers and strengthen the country’s local vaccine development. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
