President Rodrigo Duterte received his first Covid-19 vaccine dose on Monday, partly to encourage other Filipinos to get inoculated, even though the vaccine administered to him has yet to be approved for emergency use.
A Facebook live video by Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go showed the president receiving his first Sinopharm vaccine dose, administered by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
“Sinopharm ang ginamit sa kanya ayon sa desisyon rin ng kanyang mga doktor,” Go said in a message to reporters.
“Ayon kay Tatay Digong (Duterte), nagpabakuna siya para hindi lang maprotektahan ang kanyang kalusugan mula sa Covid-19, kundi para rin hikayatin ang ating mga mamamayan na magpabakuna. Bilang isang senior citizen, kasama siya sa prayoridad,” Go added.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque affirmed Duterte’s vaccination on Monday, saying the Sinopharm jab given to the president was covered by the compassionate use license issued to the Presidential Security Group (PSG) Hospital by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA granted 10,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines a compassionate use license in February this year.
Members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) earlier received unregistered Sinopharm vaccines, saying it was a matter of national security to keep the virus from reaching the president.
The makers of the Sinopharm vaccine have yet to apply for an emergency use license of their product in the Philippines. John Ezekiel J. Hirro