WHO: PH must work on regulation while waiting for COVID-19 vaccine
Published Apr 27, 2020 8:01:27 PM
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) – The World Health Organization recommended that the country must prepare its regulatory processes for vaccines, while waiting for the vaccine on COVID-19 to be developed.
“The vaccine development will really take time. So for the meantime, we would encourage the country to prepare its regulatory processes, in terms of assessment and evaluation of the vaccine,” said Dr. Socorro Escalante, acting WHO representative for the Philippines, during the Department of Health’s virtual press briefing.
Escalante said that by doing so, it would fast-track the distribution of the vaccine for COVID-19 once it becomes available.
“Para po mapabilis yung pag-receive at pag-register natin ng bakuna na nagawa na sa ibang bansa, at yung pag-deploy sa vaccines depending on how we are going to prioritize the vaccines to the susceptible population,” she said.
[Translation: It can fast-track the receiving and registration of the vaccines from another country, and the deployment, depending on how we are going to prioritize the vaccines to the susceptible population.]
There is no cure or vaccine available yet against coronavirus disease, which have infected nearly 3 million people worldwide, including more than 7,700 Filipinos.
Escalante said that there are currently six candidate vaccines for COVID-19 being studied by experts around the world.
The doctor added that the country should also increase its capacity to produce a vaccine in the future.
“I think we have scientists and experts who are world-class, and we have institutions that can undertake the research and development. But the technology should really be adapted for vaccine development,” she said.
Despite having the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Escalante said the laboratory only works in a small-scale.
“Kapag meron po tayong teknolohiya, kailangan natin i-develop yung laboratory para sa safety and quality nung vaccine,” she said.
[Translation: If we have the technology, we also need to develop the laboratory for the safety and quality of the vaccine.]
President Rodrigo Duterte recently placed a P50 million reward for any Filipino who will develop a vaccine against coronavirus.
