FYI: The 8 COVID-19 vaccines approved in the Philippines
Upon receiving the local government’s schedule for your vaccination date, what did you feel? Was it excitement because you were finally going to acquire the peace of mind that comes with being protected? Or was it dread because the vaccine lottery can be cruel and you had no clue on the brand of your vaccine? When it comes to medicine, consumers have a right to choose. Yet when the pandemic reached a global scale, vaccine demand involved a lot of international competition. Suddenly, one of the few ways to regain a semblance of control was to get vaccinated no matter the brand. But after seeing the numbers and hearing the horror stories about the side effects, you find yourself overwhelmed.
The best way to beat fear and inaction is to simply know more about what lies ahead. If you are wary of the fact that you cannot choose (at least, for most of us) your government-subsidized vaccine against COVID-19, read on for our brief list of the vaccines available now in our country to ease your reservations on these relatively unknown vaccines.
A year and a half into the Philippines’ vaccination program, around 86 million doses have been delivered, with 49.6 million of those administered. As of October 10, 2021, this brings the number of fully vaccinated individuals to 23.1 million — a 1.3 million increase from the 21.8 million reported last October 3. Meanwhile, 6.8 million individuals are partially vaccinated, having received only one dose of a two-dose vaccine course. This is according to reports by the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines, a regulatory agency under the Department of Health mandated with ensuring safety, quality, and efficacy of health products in the country.
Currently, anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are novel (produced in a record-breaking one year compared to the four-year process for mumps in the 1960s) and still under development, and thus are unregistered. This is a big reason why many remain hesitant to get their vaccines. By virtue of E.O. №121, s. 2020 of the President, the FDA Director General (currently Rolando Enrique D. Domingo, M.D.) is responsible for the issuance of Emergency Use Authorizations, also known as EUAs. An EUA is necessary to allow the relevant arms of the government to facilitate and expedite medical countermeasures during a public health emergency. EUAs are endorsements for these unlicensed medical products and are not for marketing, nor are these a substitute for a Certificate of Product Registration.
Despite their unregistered status, EUA-stamped vaccines are safe because they are required to undergo rigorous trials. Evaluation for an EUA is risk-based. Specifically, in the Philippines, the Center for Drug Regulation and Research (CDRR) and an expert panel assess the totality of evidence available, the known and potential benefits of the vaccine or drug in acting against COVID-19, and whether there are alternatives that are adequate, approved, and available. The Director General responds to an application with either the EUA or a Letter of Disapproval. This process can last for a few weeks up to a few months.
There are eight COVID-19 vaccines approved by the FDA, with seven currently in use. Below is the list of these vaccines available in the country, including their EUA grant date, the date of introduction into the immunization program, vaccine type, and efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19. Against severe COVID-19, all vaccines are 100% effective once full dosage is administered.
When the vaccination campaign started last March 1st, only three COVID-19 vaccines had been approved under EUA: those from Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac. Sinovac vaccines were delivered earliest and implemented swiftly, followed by AstraZeneca’s. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, the first to gain approval, were not distributed until a few months later, and in fact, Gamaleya obtained EUA shortly after the program began and their vaccines were rolled out even before Pfizer-BioNTech’s.
Vaccines from Bharat BioTech (Covaxin) have not been administered despite its full emergency use authorization. This India-based company paused shipments when the number of COVID-19 cases rose again in its country, hence the Philippines might receive Covaxin deliveries only when shipments resume next year.
The vaccine type, also called technology or vaccine platform, refers to the different designs of the vaccines. Inactivated vaccines use a whole virus (one already exposed to chemicals, heat, or radiation), viral vector vaccines use a safe virus vehicle (a known “vector”) to deliver protein bits of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen, while mRNA vaccines make use of the virus’ genetic material to produce specific antibodies against the virus. When these are injected into the body, immune responses are triggered.
In the next few months, the government is looking to start vaccinations for the general population (individuals aged 19 and up, of B and C priority) and children aged 12–17 (those with comorbidities are considered A3 priority; vaccinations for them are soon).
Reaching the new herd immunity target of 85 to 90% is projected to be in about two years. We rely on supplies from outside the country because there has been no news of a locally-developed vaccine. As of the moment, actively doing our part to prevent the many variants of the virus from spreading further is the best step we can do. Vaccine efficacy and brand name are microscopic details of a much bigger picture — taking control of the pandemic and reclaiming our mobility and peace of mind. The better choice is to welcome the accessible options instead of staying unvaccinated due to hesitation and misgivings.
Sources:
Philippine Food and Drug Administration
Department of Health
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Written by Victoria Aubrey Manalo
Art by Jeries Yadao
