Malacañang said that the government’s approval for the emergency use of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine is almost “automatic,” following its announcement of the US-based drug manufacturer’s application for Philippines’ emergency use authorization (EUA).
“Dahil ang Pfizer aprubado ng Amerika, halos automatic na ‘yan. May sinasabi lang si Usec. Domingo na kinakailangan lang siguruhin na epektibo ‘yan at ligtas sa mga Asians, Malay race kasi karamihan ng ginamit sa clinical trials ay mga puti,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.
[Because Pfizer has already been approved by America, it’s almost automatic. Usec. Domingo just says we need to ensure that it’s effective and safe for Asians and the Malay race because majority of clinical trial participants were Caucasians.]
US-based drug manufacturer Pfizer applied for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its coronavirus vaccine in the Philippines on December 23. The FDA is expected to conduct a review before approval for 21 days.
The Pfizer vaccine is already being administered to residents in the US. It was the first vaccine to receive an emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, with a 95% efficacy rate after two doses given a few weeks apart.
