By NG Seruela
The Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) said it is at the “last mile” of preparations for the World Health Organization (WHO) solidarity vaccine trial.
In a Laging Handa public briefing on Thursday (May 20), DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Jaime Montoya said the department is finalizing the needs for the trial.
“Iyon pong mga gamit na kailangan para sa pagsasagawa….ay pina-finalize na po. Nakikipag-meet na po tayo sa headquarters ng WHO sa Geneva para doon sa pagdadala dito ng mga kagamitan at iyong training…para sa ating mga health care workers na kasama po sa pagsasagawa ng trial na ito. Pati po iyong pagri-recruit ng mga personnel na kalahok po at sasama dito sa ating Solidarity Vaccine Trial ay isinasagawa na rin po ngayon,” he added.
Montoya described the WHO solidarity vaccine trial as a trial with more than one vaccine. The recruitment for the solidarity trial is community-based.
“Ibig sabihin po, base sa datos na ibibigay ng Epidemiology Bureau, ng DOH [Department of Health], aalamin natin kung saan pong mga barangay maraming kaso at doon pupunta ang ating trial team,” he said.
The WHO solidarity vaccine trial will take precedence in terms of the sites to be used, in accordance with the resolution passed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
The national government will pay for the conduct of the solidarity vaccine trial in the country.
“Tayo po ang magsasagawa ng monitoring at magki-create ng tinatawag na data safety monitoring committee na imo-monitor po iyong kaligtasan ng mga bakunang isasama sa pag-aaral sa solidarity vaccine trial,” Montoya explained.
He added that conducting the trial in the Philippines will greatly benefit the country, since it will generate “local data” that will be the basis for determining the safest and most effective vaccine for Filipinos.
“Bukod pa dito, makikita po natin ang mga long-term effects o iyong pangmatagalang epekto ng bakuna, gaano katagal po iyong mga antibodies na ma-stimulate nila, at pati na rin po iyong safety data, at iyong posibleng mga side effects na pangmatagalan, dahil po hindi tayo kasama doon sa ibang mga naunang clinical trials na isinagawa sa ibang bansa,” he said. -jlo
