PH awaits WHO go signal for solidarity vaccine trial

MANILA – The Philippines is ready and just waiting for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) go signal for the conduct of solidarity vaccine trial, an official of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Tuesday.

“The hospital sites, (vaccine) trial teams, and the supplies needed were already prepared. We are just waiting for the formal announcement of the WHO for the global and local launching of this study,” said DOST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara in a public briefing.

Asked why the solidarity vaccine trial takes long to start, Guevara said this is a global study, and the Philippines is not the only country to participate.

“As such, the WHO ensures that every participating country is prepared for the launching of the solidarity vaccine trial,” she said.

The WHO conducts a thorough negotiation and review of the vaccines that will be included in the study, Guevara added.

She also said the WHO had also to consider the new Covid-19 variants as well as update the clinical trial protocols and standard operating procedures.

Among the objectives of the solidarity vaccine trial, she said, is to determine the effectiveness of the vaccines against the variants of concern in the country. The study targets to include participants 16 years old and above.

Guevara said aside from the WHO solidarity vaccine trial, the country has been receiving applications for independent clinical trials.

There are applications that would like to include people aged 3 to 16, as well as people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), she added.

Results of clinical trials are important to be considered in the National Covid-19 Vaccination Program, to determine ways forward, she said.

“It is important to consider the genetic differences of various ethnicity, to see the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines. We could see and compare data from other countries. This would help in vaccine development, as well as on deciding which among the vaccines are best against the new variants,” she said.

The DOST and the Department of Health have been coordinating with each other regarding the allotment of vaccine doses for clinical trials.

Local chief executives, on the other hand, are preparing the vaccine trial sites, according to Guevara.