A TOP Palace official allayed fears of using China-made products, specifically that of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine.
In a radio interview, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told the public not to worry because Filipinos have long been using mostly products coming from China.
“Do not worry because if you would look, everyday in your life, almost all of the items you are using are made in China. That is the reality,” he said in a radio interview.
He said the bulk of the AstraZeneca vaccines that local governments and private companies had ordered would arrive in 2022.
“If you are healthy and are ready to wait, you could use that. But our warning is, remember that there is a new variant that is more transmissible,” Roque said. “If I were you, without forcing you, get vaccinated because it is better to have protection than to have none.”
Besides its efficacy, questions about Sinovac’s pricing also was raised during the Senate hearing.
Galvez, citing confidentiality agreements, declined to disclose the official price offered by Sinovac to the government, but he denied reports that Coronavac was the second most expensive in the administration’s choices.
Based on figures presented by the Department of Health (DOH) to the Senate finance panel last year, two doses of Coronavac would cost P3,629.50, making it the most expensive vaccine next only to Moderna.