The Philippines' vaccine expert panel on Wednesday said it recommended the use of Sinovac's COVID vaccine for the elderly, which will allow the innoculation of the elderly to continue.
Vaccinations for seniors was stalled after supplies of the AstraZeneca jab ran out. A formal directive from the Food and Drug Authority is expected, said the vaccine expert panel head, Dr. Nina Gloriani.
The expert panel endorsed Sinovac after a second review of trial data from its Chinese manufacturer, Gloriani said. During the first review, it failed to get cleared for seniors.
The expert panel review found that the Sinovac side effects were found to only range from mild to moderate, including headache and flu-like symptoms, she said.
In terms of protecting the elderly from severe COVID, Sinovac is proven effective, she said.
"Ang maganda doon sa datos na nakita namin ay nakakaprotekta din siya sa mga matatanda ay hindi sila nagkaroon ng severe COVID. We expect an announcement from FDA about this, nakapaglabas na kami ng rekomendasyon na puwede siya sa seniors,” Gloriani said.
According to Gloriani, China and Indonesia have also started using Sinovac's CoronaVac for their senior citizens, where the antibodies produced by the elderly were almost the same as the those of the younger groups, she said.
At the time of FDA's recommendation against Sinovac for seniors, the contention was in the limited participation of elderly in the trials, which led to their exclusion.
Gloriani who is 67 revealed that she has received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine, after signing a waiver.
The Philippines is looking to vaccinate up to 70 million of its 120 million people this year, but global supply is running short as vaccine distribution favors rich countries, choking the rollouts of developing nations like the Philippines.
Citing this inequity, World Health Organization Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabi Abeyasinghe also confirmed Monday the delayed arrival of some 920,000 doses of Astrazeneca vaccines supposedly set last March 24.
A "reduced quantity" is expected to arrive in the coming weeks, he said, as he assured the public that once production kicks off, the remaining supply promised through the COVAX facility will arrive by late second quarter or early third quarter of 2021.
The Philippines is currently battling a fresh surge in infections that has prompted government to impose the strictest form of lockdown or ECQ in the Metro Manila, Laguna, Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan areas.
“In view of the increase [in cases], importante po na matunugan natin ito sa pagbabakuna. Of course isa lang siya, pero andiyan na iyan so gamitin na po kung anong meron tayo,” said Nina Gloriani.
