The country’s vaccine czar hinted at the possibility of seeing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines arriving earlier than that of China’s Sinovac.
This was the response of vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez to statements made by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque during a news conference on Monday, a day after the administration noted that China-made Sinovac is its more preferred vaccine brand.
Galvez cited just one reason why Pfizer would come first than Sinovac – the global initiative aimed at ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Galvez said Pfizer’s roll-out is being supervised by the COVAX Facility, which means the government gets to be spared from the tedious process of planning, preparation and availability of transport and storage facilities conforming to requirements to maintain the efficacy and integrity of the vaccines upon arrival.
Roque, who earlier said that there is nothing else the public can do except to choose what is already on its way to the Philippines sometime next month, has yet to issue a statement in response to Sec. Galvez.
During the regular news conference last Monday, Roque went as far as saying that there is no other option for the public except for the China-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines even as he enjoined those favoring US-made antidotes to do away with colonial mentality.