Malacañang said yesterday the government is more than willing to sell its assets to buy COVID-19 vaccines that will be developed by any country even if it is not China.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after it was reported that an experimental COVID-19 vaccine being developed by American drug giant Pfizer and biotech firm BioNTech from Germany showed positive results.
In the episode of the “Laging Handa” public briefing aired over State-run PTV-4, Roque said it does not matter anymore if other countries will first come up with a vaccine before China.
“Basta po meron nang gamot diyan sa COVID-19, basta may bakuna, ibebenta natin lahat ng ari-arian ng ating gobyerno para makabili po tayo para sa ating mga kababayan,” he said.
“’Yan po ang paninindigan ni Presidente. Buhay muna bago ari-arian,” he added.
BioNTech Chief Executive Officer Ugur Sahin said its BNT162b1 produces antibody responses at or above the levels seen in any convalescent serum at relatively low doses.
An AFP report said the preliminary data come from a so-called phase 1/2 trial that aimed to show the vaccine is not toxic and triggers an immune system response to prepare the body to fight off the virus.
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said a total of 23 COVID-19 vaccine projects have launched clinical trials on humans.
Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping assured President Duterte that the Philippines would be prioritized once China is able to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, a disease caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus that originated from Wuhan, China.
Duterte stressed the need to cooperate with research trials aimed at developing a vaccine. Roque said that the Philippines is expected to participate in clinical trials by the last quarter of the year. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
