Philippines volunteers as guinea pig for Russian Covid-19 vaccine
The Philippines will be among the first nations to launch clinical trials for a new Russian coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available in October, with President Rodrigo Duterte saying he was willing to be injected as well.
“When the vaccine arrives, I will inject it publicly. Experiment with me, that’s fine. If it works on me, it will work on everyone,” the Philippines leader said in a televised speech.
Russia on August 11 became the world’s first country to grant regulatory approval for a Covid-19 vaccine, to be named “Sputnik V” in homage to the Soviet Union’s launch of the world’s first satellite.
The approval, however, bypassed the normally mandatory phase three clinical trials which has raised concerns among medical experts globally, as well as led to cautious comments by the World Health Organisation. In the Philippines, some experts fear the use of the vaccine may be putting national prestige over safety.
But Duterte kept lauding Russia’s efforts to speedily develop a coronavirus vaccine.
“I will tell President [Vladimir] Putin that I have huge trust in Russia’s studies in combating Covid-19 and I believe that the vaccine that they have produced is really good for humanity,” Duterte said, adding that “I can be the first they can experiment on.”
Unclear who pays for the vaccine
Duterte suggested that Filipinos could participate in clinical trials but did not specify the laboratory behind it. He also did not give details about how Putin made the offer or the terms of the agreement.
“They want to provide us with the vaccine; they haven’t said ‘pay for it.’ I think President Putin wants to help us for free,” he said.
Phase three clinical trials in the Philippines are due to run from October to March 2021, after a panel of vaccine experts completes its review on Russia’s phase one and two trials in September, Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said.
As of August 13, the coronavirus has infected more than 148,000 people and killed 2,426 in the Philippines. However, a second lockdown recently reintroduced in and around the capital Manila is unlikely to be extended beyond August 18, Roque said.
The Philippines will be among the first nations to launch clinical trials for a new Russian coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available in October, with President Rodrigo Duterte saying he was willing to be injected as well. "When the vaccine arrives, I will inject it publicly. Experiment with me, that’s fine. If it works on me, it will work on everyone," the Philippines leader said in a televised speech. Russia on August 11 became the world’s first country to grant regulatory approval for a Covid-19 vaccine, to be named “Sputnik V” in homage to the Soviet Union’s launch of the...
The Philippines will be among the first nations to launch clinical trials for a new Russian coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available in October, with President Rodrigo Duterte saying he was willing to be injected as well.
“When the vaccine arrives, I will inject it publicly. Experiment with me, that’s fine. If it works on me, it will work on everyone,” the Philippines leader said in a televised speech.
Russia on August 11 became the world’s first country to grant regulatory approval for a Covid-19 vaccine, to be named “Sputnik V” in homage to the Soviet Union’s launch of the world’s first satellite.
The approval, however, bypassed the normally mandatory phase three clinical trials which has raised concerns among medical experts globally, as well as led to cautious comments by the World Health Organisation. In the Philippines, some experts fear the use of the vaccine may be putting national prestige over safety.
But Duterte kept lauding Russia’s efforts to speedily develop a coronavirus vaccine.
“I will tell President [Vladimir] Putin that I have huge trust in Russia’s studies in combating Covid-19 and I believe that the vaccine that they have produced is really good for humanity,” Duterte said, adding that “I can be the first they can experiment on.”
Unclear who pays for the vaccine
Duterte suggested that Filipinos could participate in clinical trials but did not specify the laboratory behind it. He also did not give details about how Putin made the offer or the terms of the agreement.
“They want to provide us with the vaccine; they haven’t said ‘pay for it.’ I think President Putin wants to help us for free,” he said.
Phase three clinical trials in the Philippines are due to run from October to March 2021, after a panel of vaccine experts completes its review on Russia’s phase one and two trials in September, Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said.
As of August 13, the coronavirus has infected more than 148,000 people and killed 2,426 in the Philippines. However, a second lockdown recently reintroduced in and around the capital Manila is unlikely to be extended beyond August 18, Roque said.
