Sinovac’s 50% efficacy meets WHO minimum standards — DOST
MANILA, Philippines — The national government assures that experts are carefully studying the available efficacy and safety data of every developed vaccine specifically against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from any manufacturer.
This was the response from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Philippine Council for Health Research and Development regarding reports that the COVID-19 vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech is only 50% effective based on the late-stage trial result done by the Butantan Institute in Brazil.
This is way below the efficacy rate of the vaccines developed in the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Hindi pa natin nakikita ang data. It has to be reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration kahit na lumalabas sa press, ganito ang kanilang efficacy,” explained DOST -PCHRD Executive Director Jaime Montoya.
“We have to verify those data. So until such time na na-review natin ang data, we cannot make any conclusions,” he said.
Montoya stressed, however, that based on the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), 50% efficacy is still acceptable in terms of minimum standards of a vaccine.
He added that should vaccine developers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna submit their application for use in the Philippines, it is likely that they would be the first to get emergency use authorization from the government.
This is if the negotiation on vaccine procurement would be finalized soon with the vaccine suppliers.
“Dalawa pa lang po ang naii-issuehan ng EUA ng isang stringent regulatory authority. Meaning the US, iyan ang Pfizer-BioNTech at Moderna. So if they’re going to pursue their application here in the Philippines, for the EUA also in the Philippines, then malamang sila ang mauuna na magiging available,” Montoya said.
As of this writing, DOST-PCHRD said there is no report yet that the new strain of COVID-19 affecting the UK has entered the country.
Currently, they are conducting random surveillance among COVID-19 positive tests to detect any trace of the new strain in the Philippines.
“Tayo po ay mino-monitor natin randomly ang mga viruses na nakikita natin sa Pilipinas with SARS-COV-2 through the Philippine Genome Center,” he concluded. MNP (with reports from Rosalie Coz)