Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 10) — President Rodrigo Duterte said getting immediate access to a COVID-19 vaccine for Filipinos would be no easy task as nations currently developing a vaccine will likely prioritize their own people.
“Kung sino ang country na nakapag-imbento, malamang unahin niya ang mga tao niya (Whichever country invents the vaccine will most likely prioritize its own people). That’s the reality,” Duterte said in his address to the nation on Tuesday.
The President said he intends to keep his promise to have all Filipinos vaccinated, with the poor getting priority. However, he expects this would not be viable “within the (first) few months (of the vaccine’s availability) until next year.”
“Hindi sa ayaw nating bumili,” he said. “Wala pa tayong mabili kasi sabi ko, ang vaccine sa America, binili na kaagad. I think the federal government has made the first installment.”
[Translation: It’s not that we don’t want to buy. There’s nothing yet for us to buy because as I’ve said, the vaccine produced in America has been immediately bought. I think the federal government has made the first installment.]
Duterte also pointed out that the countries with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers generally have huge populations to take care of. “So tatapusin muna ‘yan nila bago ‘yan sila magbigay sa iba (So they will first complete the vaccination among their populations before they would offer a supply to other countries),” he said.
American pharmaceutical company Pfizer recently reported that its coronavirus vaccine, which it made with its German partner BioNTech, is more than 90% effective based on its early analysis.
Amnesty International, however, has raised the alarm over the two firms striking deals with wealthy countries “for more than a billion potential doses of its vaccine.” The organization said this leaves only a small fraction of potential supply for other nations, especially low- and middle-income ones.
Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babes” Romualdez is confident the country will work out a good deal with Pfizer, owing to the Philippines being a U.S. ally.
In his previous public addresses, Duterte repeatedly pinned his hopes on a vaccine that will be produced by either China or Russia, even offering himself to be vaccinated first amid safety concerns.
In June, Malacañang said Chinese leader Xi Jinping has assured Duterte that the Philippines would be prioritized once China develops a vaccine against the highly contagious disease.
