PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte received his second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) two weeks after the first dose, according to Presidential Security Group (PSG) chief Jesus Durante III.
The President received the first dose on May 3, 2021, when the Sinopharm vaccine was authorized only by a compassionate use permit in the country.
Durante said the President received the second dose 14 days later.
"Si Pangulo po ay vaccinated na po siya, at napakahalaga po nito, para lalo namin siyang maingatan, lalo na magagawa niya nang maayos at tuloy-tuloy ang kaniyang tungkulin, upang makapaglingkod sa ating mga kababayan," Durante said in an interview at state-run news network PTV4.
He said the President’s inoculation is part of the preparations for the State of the Nation Address in July.
The Food and Drug Administration in the Philippines granted emergency use authorization for the 10,000 doses of donated Sinopharm vaccines from China on June 7, 2021.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which granted emergency use listing to the Sinopharm vaccine, recommended an interval of three to four weeks between the two doses. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)