The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved the recommendation of National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) to offer and use the vaccines developed by China’s Sinovac on healthcare workers.
“After thorough discussions, our NITAG experts with the TAG experts have concluded that the vaccine will be beneficial for the health care workers,” DOH USec. Maria Rosario Vergeire reported.
Based on the emergency use authorization granted to Sinovac, the CoronaVac is not recommended to health workers due to reportedly lower efficacy rate on their population attending to COVID-19 patients.
The DOH, however, clarified the vaccine is still effective in preventing severe symptoms of COVID-19.
“All of the talks that I have given on vaccine confidence, I always say that kung tama ang proseso, at aprubado ng FDA, tiwala po ang taumbayan kasi dumaan po ito sa matinding pagsusuri po (if the process is right and approved by the FDA, the public is confident since it has undergone thorough evaluation),” Dr. Nina Castillo-Carandang of NITAG assured.
The NITAG is a group of experts that provides recommendations in the creation of policies concerning vaccination.
Due to limited supply, the vaccine will only be adminstered to 300,000 beneficiaries which is lower than the target of 1.2 million health workers.
“Remember that the supply is only 600,000 doses as of this time so we will maximize that and distribute to all those who are willing to be vaccinated,” Dr. Marissa Alejandria of DOH-TAG pointed out.
Healthcare workers who will choose not to get inoculated with CoronaVac are still eligible for the next vaccines.
Meanwhile, Malacaῆang welcomed in a separate statement the decision of the IATF, saying that it “is an assurance that the use of Sinovac is safe and beneficial to our healthcare workers.”
“The Sinovac vaccine is expected to arrive on Sunday, February 28, and we are confident that many of our healthcare workers would get themselves inoculated to boost public confidence in our mass vaccination program against the coronavirus,” Pres. Spokesperson Harry Roque said. – Reports from Mark Fetalco, Mela Lesmoras
