Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday dodged reports that he had received a COVID-19 vaccine, which would make him one of the first in the country to get the pandemic's most sought-after drug.
Lacson neither confirmed not denied the report when asked in a TeleRadyo interview. "Tawa na lang isasagot ko diyan... Hindi ko naman din inaamin," he said.
Experimental COVID-19 vaccines trialed by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna have shown around 95% efficacy, raising hopes that the end of the pandemic is in sight.
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The Philippines is eyeing a share of COVID-19 vaccines enough to immunize some 60 million people, the country's Vaccine czar, Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., said late Monday.
President Rodrigo Duterte's administration is in talks with three pharmaceutical firms working on COVID-19 vaccines, Galvez said. In a "best-case scenario," the Philippines could start immunizations by the second quarter of 2021, he said.
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"Just in case makuha natin tatlong ito, makakabuo po tayo ng 60 million next year. So ibig sabihin mayroon na po tayo na magandang ano mga vaccine na nakikita natin na safe, cost-effective, at saka po talaga ‘yung efficacy ay medyo po ang ano natin maganda po ang kanilang mga performance," Galvez said.
The Philippines plans to prioritize poor families, health workers, and law enforcers in its COVID-19 vaccination program.
