Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 13) — President Rodrigo Duterte will keep his word that he is ready to be injected with the Russia-made coronavirus vaccine, his spokesperson said on Thursday, as safety concerns continue to hound the drug. However, he will not join the clinical trials to be held in the country.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte may be inoculated with the Sputnik-V vaccine on May 1, 2021 at the earliest. He said this is only possible once it has been approved by the Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration.
“It’s not a metaphorical statement. He’s willing to undergo it,” he said in a media briefing.
A panel of vaccine experts in the country will review the results of the Phases 1 and 2 of Russia’s clinical trial by September.
Roque confirmed the Philippines will join the Phase 3 of the medical research, which will be fully funded by Russia. This critical stage is where thousands of patients have to be vaccinated to test its safety and efficacy. This is also the final stage before approval for mass rollout. Phase 3 will be simultaneously conducted with Russia from October 2020 to March 2021.
The findings will be submitted to the country’s FDA for review and approval before it can be rolled out for the public. The government targets the product registration of the vaccine by April 2021, and only then can the 75-year-old Duterte be given the drug that builds immunity against COVID-19.
Roque believes that FDA and the vaccine experts panel will be cautious and thorough before approving the use of the vaccine in the Philippines despite Duterte’s vote of confidence.
“This is conducted by scientists, not politicians. They will be following strict scientific protocols,” he said.
Duterte on Monday said he has a “huge trust” in the Russia-made vaccine, even volunteering to be a guinea pig by getting immunized in public. The next day, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin announced they have approved and registered the “world’s first” vaccine. It was quickly met with apprehensions as the clinical trial has not undergone the crucial stage to check its safety and efficacy on a large group of people.
Should the deal with the manufacturer of the Russia vaccine fall through, Roque is confident Duterte can still keep his promise of a Christmas season free of COVID-19, with vaccines from other countries finishing their Phase 3.
