As many as eight cities in the Philippines — including six in Metro Manila and Rizal and two in Visayas and Mindanao — have been chosen a local study on the safety and efficacy of mixing and matching China’s Sinovac vaccine with other Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) jabs, according to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The study will involve around 3,000 Filipino adults participating in the study that will be held in cities of Antipolo, Manila, Pasig, Makati, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, Cebu, and Davao.
DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña noted that the proponents from the Philippine Society for Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (PSAAI) had suggested these eight study sites but were still coordinating with the local government units.
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The DOST Secretary furthered that all 3,000 participants to involved in the COVID-19 jabs mix-and-match study will be closely monitored for a period of 18 months starting in June this year.
De la Peña states that the study will determine if it might be better to mix vaccines and noted that before the study commences, it had to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB).
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“Any conduct of this trial will still be in the hands of FDA. I don’t know whether they (PSAAI) have already submitted the necessary documents,” said de la Peña.
This study is expected to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of mixing different COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine platforms in Filipino adults.
The government has allocated Php 133 million to support the study. (AW)
