Roque: Philippines to return donated Chinese COVID-19 vax if it fails FDA evaluation

February 11 ------ The Philippine government will return the 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be donated by the Chinese government if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve them for emergency use, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. said. Roque was referring to the COVID-19 vaccines pledged by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his meetings with his Filipino counterpart Teodoro Locsin, Jr. and President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila last month. “Of course, of course [it should be FDA approved]. In fact, in Indonesia, they waited about a month before Indonesia's regulatory authority gave it an EUA (emergency use authorization),” Roque said in an ANC interview on Wednesday afternoon.

“Definitely. But the vaccines, I think, will be donated to us have also been approved and given EUAs in other countries,” he added when asked if the Philippine government will return the donated COVID-19 vaccines by China if it does not pass FDA standards. Two COVID-19 vaccines have been issued emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA so far: Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca. The FDA found that the COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer-BioNTech will reach its 92% to 95% efficacy rate after two doses administered 21 days apart.

On the other hand, the FDA said that AstraZeneca has a 70% efficacy rate after the first dose, a rate that increases after the second dose is administered four to 12 weeks after. Pfizer-BioNTech is developed by American and German firms, while AstraZeneca was developed by the said British firm with Oxford University. Chinese vaccine’s COVID-19 shot Sinovac has applied for EUA before the Philippine FDA but it is still under evaluation to this day.

Source: gmanetwork.com