The Philippine government decided to purchase vaccines developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech because it’s cheaper than the jabs made by US pharmaceutical firms.
This was the explanation of the country’s vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. amid criticisms over the procurement of Sinovac.
“The reason why we chose Sinovac is because it’s a little cheaper,” said Galvez per report by Inquirer.net.
Without disclosing Sinovac’s cost per dosage, Galvez said the Philippines was given the “best price” by the Chinese government.
“Second, this will be used by Singapore, Turkey, and Indonesia. Malaysia is already establishing its manufacturing capacity for Sinovac. Sinovac will also be used in Brazil and Egypt,” added Galvez.
The purchase of Sinovac has been questioned due to its supposed higher price and that it has yet to apply for an emergency use authorization with the Food and Drug Administration.
Data released by Senate committee on finance chair Sonny Angara, Sinovac is the second-most-expensive vaccine with a price tag of PHP3,629.50 for two doses per patient. The most expensive is Moderna’s vaccine, which costs around PHP3,904 to PHP4,504 for two doses per person. (CC)
