The Sinopharm Covid-19 booster shot given to President Rodrigo Duterte did not generate adverse effects, the Palace said on Wednesday.

Local authorities have yet to approve the use of the Sinopharm vaccine as booster shots.

In a One News interview, acting Palace spokesman said Duterte’s booster vaccination was “between him and his personal physician.”

“Wala naman pong masamang epektong naidulot sa pagkaka-alam namin, again itong mga bakuna ni Pangulong Duterte is something between him and his personal physician..,iyong Sinopharm nga po iyong ginamit sa kanya na bakuna,” he said.

Duterte also used the Sinopharm vaccine during his primary vaccination.

It remains unclear when the president received his booster shot.

Duterte only ambiguously mentioned getting his Sinopharm booster in a conversation with Oscar Gutierrez Jr., officer in charge of the Food and Drug Administration, in early January, wherein he asked if the Sinopharm vaccine was among the vaccines that had emergency use licenses.

The Philippines has received 1.1 million Sinopharm doses to date, which is the least among two-dose Covid-19 vaccines. All were donated by China. John Ezekiel J. Hirro