The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to release the results of AstraZeneca’s emergency use authorization (EUA) application in the Philippines by mid-January, according to FDA Director General Eric Domingo Monday.
“’Yan naman pong AstraZeneca nag-apply na rin sila after New Year and we’re confident that we will be able to finish the process before siguro po, by middle of January,” Domingo said during a Senate hearing on the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) immunization plan.
The EUA for Pfizer is also under finalization and is expected to be released in one to two days, he added.
Meanwhile, the government’s vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. mentioned during the same hearing that some Covid-19 vaccines may arrive in the country by February 20 and that the pilot immunization can start right after.
Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute and China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac are also set to send their EUA applications in the Philippines.
Even without an EUA application, the Department of Health (DOH) has secured some 25 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from Sinovac, with the initial batch soon to arrive by February, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
“We sealed the deal with Sinovac for 25 million with early 50,000 doses by February, 950,000 by March and 2 to 3 million in succeeding months ’til December with 25 million doses. This is in addition to AstraZeneca as confirmed by Sec. Galvez,” Duque said in an interview with GMA. Ronald dela Cruz