DOH, NTF: Rollout of Sinovac doses on hold pending experts’ recommendations

February 28 ------ The rollout schedule of coronavirus vaccine doses from China’s Sinovac is still on hold as immunization experts are still discussing the allocation of the 600,000 doses, the Department of Health (DOH) and National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) said Thursday. In a joint statement, the DOH and NTF said the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) has yet to make an official recommendation to the government on how the Sinovac doses should be allocated.

“As of press time, specific details as to the allocation and subsequent rollout of the 600,000 donated Sinovac doses are still being evaluated pending the official recommendation of the NITAG,” they said. The Department of National Defense earlier said that out of the 600,000 doses, 100,000 will go to its employees and members of the military.

Emergency use

The Food and Drug Administration approved the Sinovac jab for emergency use on Monday but did not recommend it for health workers due to its lower efficacy rate of 50.4% in the said group. The drug regulator later clarified, however, that health workers can still get the Sinovac vaccine if they choose to. This has muddled the rollout of the Sinovac shots, the first to arrive in the Philippines, since frontline workers in healthcare facilities were supposed to be first in line for inoculation.

Malacañang said the vaccines, donated by the Chinese government, are expected to arrive on Sunday. “The arrival ceremony [will] be held at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. However, details of the planned arrival ceremony are still currently being finalized in close coordination with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China,” the DOH and NTF said.

Source: gmanetwork.com