MANILA – Malacañang said on Saturday that new clinical studies on vaccines to combat the emerging variants of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) may begin soon.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the suggestion to evaluate the proposal for the conduct of the trials, subject to the approval of Food and Drug Administration.
To be more inclusive in combating the pandemic, the study will focus on individuals of various ages as well as those with comorbidities or who are immune-compromised.
The recommendation to prioritize Phase 3 clinical trials that will enroll volunteers in the pediatric age groups (six months to 12 years old), elderly (60 years and older), pregnant, and patients with immunodeficiency, autoimmune diseases, renal diseases, and chronic respiratory ailments was also approved.
The IATF also approved the recommendation to consider the application for the conduct of new clinical studies in general health populations “if vaccines address the impact of new variants,” according to Roque.
In the Philippines, the vaccine might be a third dose of a vaccine with an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or second-generation Covid-19 vaccines under EUA.
