Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 15) — The Food and Drug Administration will investigate the source of Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine doses administered to San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora last year, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday. At the time, no coronavirus shot was approved for use in the country.
“Wala sa kaalaman ng DOH itong mga pangyayari na ito. Ang nagdesisyon po niyan ay ang ating mambabatas at ‘yun pong kanyang doctor so respetuhin natin ‘yung kanilang naging kasunduan,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday in a Laging Handa briefing.
[Translation: The DOH did not know about Zamora’s vaccination. This was decided by the lawmaker and his doctor so let’s just respect their agreement.]
“Ang FDA ang magiimbestiga nito…pero yun lamang kung paano nakapasok illegally itong bakunang ito,” he added.
[Translation: The FDA will investigate this but only how it was illegally taken here.]
Duque was asked whether Zamora will be probed following the lawmaker’s revelation that he got four COVID-19 shots, instead of just two.
Zamora disclosed that he received “bootleg” Sinopharm doses, with the second shot administered to him in December. The legislator was then advised to get revaccinated with Pfizer shots because he still had no antibodies after his regular inoculation, his son San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora earlier told CNN Philippines.
The FDA has advised the public against the use of antibody tests to determine one’s immune response after getting vaccinated, saying the level of antibodies needed to be protected against the coronavirus has not been established yet.
RELATED: Rep. Zamora revaccinated due to zero antibodies after Sinopharm inoculation – son
People who received unregistered drugs like vaccines are not legally liable, only those who prescribed and sold them, the FDA said Wednesday.
“Sa atin po kasing batas, wala pong pananagutan ang mga, halimbawa nakabili ng counterfeit na gamot, mga substandard na gamot o nakainom nito or naiineksiyunan nito,” FDA Director General Eric Domingo said during the Laging Handa briefing when asked about the matter.
[Translation: Under our law, people who purchased counterfeit or substandard medicine, or those who took or were administered with this do not have liability.]
“Ang doktor ay bawal mag reseta, mag-injection, magbigay ng gamot na hindi po rehistrado sa FDA; pagkatapos iyon din pong importer at distributor ay mayroon din pong kaso iyon, dahil bawal din pong magpasok at magbenta ng gamot na hindi rehistrado,” Domingo explained.
[Translation: Doctors cannot prescribe, inject or give medicine that is not registered with the FDA. Importers and distributors may also face charges because they cannot ship or sell unregistered drugs.]
