Gov’t must adopt uniform standards in vaccine procurement – Manila Bulletin

Senator Aquilino ‘’Koko’’ Pimentel III on Tuesday said the standards imposed on Sinovac, a Chinese vaccine maker, must also be imposed on other coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines the government intends to buy.

He cited Novavax, an Indian firm, from which the government intends to order 40 million doses but which has yet to secure an emergency use authorization (EUA).

Sinovac is at the center of controversy in the Philippine government’s vaccine roll out.

Senators have raised issues against Sinovac vaccine because of its about 50 percent efficacy rate and its relatively higher price compared to other Western vaccines.

Pimentel said he has heard Song Tao, Chinese minister-in-charge of International Development of CPC Central Committee, say that China intends to make all of their vaccines a global public good.

Tao meant that China has no intention of profiting from their vaccines, he explained.

Pimentel said Sinovac wpuld not be making a profit or money out of the transaction for the vaccines because that is the commitment of their leader, President Xi Jinping.

‘’That was not only for the Philippines, that was for the whole world,’’ he added.