Sinovac Covid-19 Vaccine.
Photographer: Dimas Ardian / Bloomberg
Photographer: Dimas Ardian / Bloomberg
The Philippines has been approved The Coronavirus Shots from Sinovac Biotech Ltd. for emergency use, paving the way for the nation to deliver its first vaccine shipment 600,000 doses possible within days.
The Chinese developer’s shots may be effective in preventing Covid-19 and can be used on healthy individuals ages 18 to 59, said Food and Drug Administration chief Eric Domingo. It is not recommended for health professionals who are frequently exposed to the virus due to its 50.4% efficacy for this group, he said during a briefing on Monday.
Sinovac had taken three to five days to prepare shipments to the Philippines, Health Minister Francisco Duque said in the same briefing. The Southeast Asian nation, which has turned toward China under President Rodrigo Duterte, is requesting 25 million doses of Sinovac this year to support its goal of vaccinating a whopping 70% of the population this year.
Thailand Approves AstraZeneca: Southeast Asia Vaccine Tracker
The first Sinovac shots are likely to be administered to soldiers and other non-health workers, such as supermarket employees, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a separate briefing. Duterte may only allow face-to-face classes once the vaccines are rolled out, he said.
Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and AstraZeneca Plc. vaccines were previously approved by Philippine regulators for limited use, with health professionals a priority. The government said it has ordered enough shots for the 2021 vaccination program to help recover from last year’s record economic contraction.
– With the assistance of Clarissa Batino
Adds more details from the health secretary, the president’s spokesman.