Central Visayas Prepares for COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

COVID-19 VACCINE – The Department of Health in the Central Visayas of the Philippines has started preparing for programs and procedures on vaccination. This is to help ready the different LGU and government offices for the rollout once the COVID-19 Vaccine is finally released. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the Philippines has approved the application of Chinese drug maker Sinovac to conduct Phase 3 clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

COVID-19 Vaccine Preparation

The Department of Health (DOH) in the Central Visayas has started briefing its personnel and local government unit (LGU) on the pending preparations for the vaccination program. According to the DOH 7, it will be the task of the LGU to inform the public down to the barangay level about this pending vaccination program.

According to DOH 7 Director Jaime Bernadas, they will engage with private medical practitioners to make sure there won’t be a conflict in terms of preparation.

Sinovac V.S. Pfizer – Which vaccine is better?

According to the infections disease specialist Edsel Salvana, based on available data, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac’s Brazil trials show 100% success rate in preventing COVID-19. Meanwhile, Pfizer vaccine shows only 89% success rate as of the moment.

Sinovac is the third company to secure clearance for Phase 3 trials, following Janssen Pharmaceutica and Clover Biopharmaceuticals. Hosting Phase 3 trials is one of the country’s strategies to ensure every Filipino gets access to the COVID-19 vaccines.

FDA Director General Eric Domingo gave the update during a virtual briefing, saying that the FDA has given the go-signal to all companies that applied for late-stage trials in the Philippines.

Yung clinical trials, lahat po ng nag-apply ng clinical trials sa FDA, na-approve na po ‘yan,” Domingo said.  (For clinical trials, all that applied with the FDA had been approved)

Duterte willing to be Vaccinated – PRIVATE

According to President Rodrigo Duterte, he is willing to get vaccinated with Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine but only in private. Added to that, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said last Tuesday that President Duterte “really needs” to be given the vaccine. According to the spokesperson, the president is 75 years old and is known to have several ailments. On the other hand, the president last August agreed and was willing to be injected publicly with Russia’s Sputnik V.