Sinovac gets President Duterte's confidence

President Duterte expresses confidence in China-made vaccine

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte expressed confidence in China-made vaccines awaiting Phase III trial results and approval from the Philippine government’s Food and Drug Administration.

Speaking at his regular address to the Filipino people Monday night, the 75-year-old chief executive downplayed negative claims about Sinovac.

“Long before the pandemic went full-blown, I called President Xi Jinping and told him we didn’t have the resources and don’t know how to make vaccines,” he said. He added he requested President Xi not to forget the country.

President Duterte said he was assured by his Chinese counterpart but added his government’s priority is to inoculate their citizens first before they extend the same to their allies.

He explained the top priority will be citizens 70 years old and above to be supervised by uniformed personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

President Duterte expressed his appreciation for the 500,000 doses of Chinese vaccines to be delivered anytime soon as promised by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his official visit over the weekend.

Medical frontline workers, including doctors, nurses and other health workers who wish to be inoculated with Sinovac. He added among his priority are citizens who are impoverished, the poor who cannot work without good health conditions.

The chief executive said Sinovac is being used in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, UAE, and Brazil.

“I have not heard of fatalities after being given Sinovac vaccine,” he concluded. (Melo M. Acuña)

President Rodrigo Duterte. (Screen grab from his Talk to the People January 18,2021/RTVM/PTV4/PCOO)