THE earliest date that President Rodrigo Duterte will be inoculated with the Russian vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is May 1, 2021, Malacañang said.
In his regular press briefing Thursday, August 13, 2020, Presidential Spokesperson said a vaccine expert panel will review in September the results of the first two phases of the clinical trials for the Sputnik V, the vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute in Moscow.
Phase three of the clinical trials will be conducted simultaneously in Russia and the Philippines from October 2020 to March 2021.
Russia will finance the clinical trial.
The vaccine is expected to be approved and registered with the Food and Drug Administration by April 2021.
“Ibig sabihin po, sa Mayo 2021 pa lamang na pu-puwedeng magpasaksak ng bakuna galing sa Russia ang ating Presidente. ’Yung target date po na May 1, ito po ay sangayon sa DOH (Department of Health) at sa DOST (Department of Science and Technology),” Roque said.
He said Russia is allowing other countries to replicate the vaccine locally.
“Masaya ko rin pong ibinabalita na bukas po ang Russia sa transfer technology (technology transfer) para sa local manufacturing of the vaccine,” Roque said.
“Sa katunayan po, hinihikayat nila ‘yung iba’t-ibang mga bansa na tumulong para mag-manufacture ng kanilang mga bakuna,” he added.
In a televised video conference on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia is the first country in the world to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
The vaccine was approved and registered with Russia’s Health Ministry.
Scientists, however, pointed out that the vaccine has yet to undergo phase three clinical trial, which means testing the vaccine on thousands of people.
The frontrunners in the race to develop a vaccine are Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Sinopharm, which are all conducting phase three clinical trials. (Jove Moya/SunStar Philippines)