Duterte's Bodyguards Have Been Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Even Though The Philippine Regulators Have Not Approved It

Ilustrasi (Pixabay/Elchinator)

JAKARTA - Members of the security team of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte have been vaccinated against COVID-19 made in China. The vaccine has not been approved by the country's regulators. Currently, the vaccine in the Rice Granary Country is still in the process of discussions with several pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sinopharm, to secure 60 million doses for the vaccination program starting in the second quarter of 2021.

Citing SCMP, Wednesday, December 30, there is no vaccine approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration which is required before it can be launched in the entire country of 110 million people. But the Presidential Security Group (PSG), which is tasked with protecting Duterte, said some of its personnel had been vaccinated.

"PSG administered the COVID-19 vaccine to its personnel carrying out security operations close to the president," unit head Brigadier General Jesus Durante said in a statement, without specifying how many had received the vaccine.

Asked whether Duterte had been given a vaccine, Durante said the president was still waiting for the "perfect or appropriate vaccine." Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Sinopharm vaccine had been given to members of the security team. He confirmed Duterte's comments at the weekend that "a select few" had been given a vaccine made in China.

Duterte has previously expressed confidence in vaccines made by China and Russia, even offering himself as a guinea pig for the controversial first injection of 'Sputnik V'. Roque is not worried about the safety of the Sinopharm vaccine, saying it is meant to send a message of hope to Filipinos.

"The news is that the vaccine is here and if we can't get the vaccine (from) the West, our Chinese friends and neighbors are willing to give us the vaccine," said Roque. "It is not prohibited by law to be inoculated with (vaccines) that are not registered. What's illegal is distribution and sale. "

Be warned

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) has warned against the use of the unofficial vaccine. They note there is no guarantee of safety, quality and efficacy of a drug that has not undergone a technical evaluation by regulators.

So far, the Philippines has signed a deal with AstraZeneca for 2.6 million doses of its vaccine and hopes to get another 30 million from using public and private funding.

For information, now China has at least four vaccines. Including Sinopharm, in the final stages of development and highly advanced with mass human testing in a number of countries.

Unfortunately, however, little information has been published about the effectiveness of the Chin-based vaccine. In contrast to the vaccines developed by Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.