The Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines has warned against the use of unauthorized vaccines, as the military said members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s security team have already been inoculated.
Philippine regulators have not approved any Covid-19 vaccines for use in the country, FDA director general Eric Domingo said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Monday. Importing, administering or distributing vaccines without approval is illegal, said Domingo, and warned that unauthorized vaccines could be counterfeit, spoiled or cause side effects.
Soldiers on Duterte’s security team have already been vaccinated, the Philippine Armed Forces said in a statement on Monday. The measure is “a bold step” to protect the president, he said, without specifying which vaccines were used and how they were obtained.
Duterte also said over the weekend that many Filipinos, including soldiers, have already received the Sinopharm Group Co.
The government is still in negotiations with vaccine manufacturers, as it plans to inoculate about a quarter of the population next year. It expects the first shipment of around 30 million doses by May 2021, including 2.6 million doses purchased by private companies from AstraZeneca Plc.
READ: Southeast Asia Covid-19 vaccine tracker: who will receive what, when
– With the help of Ditas B Lopez