Duterte: Philippines to buy most affordable COVID-19 vaccines

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will go for the most affordable vaccines to be sold in the market as President Rodrigo Duterte thinks there is no difference among the potential immunizations against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Duterte said he does not believe that cheaper vaccines are less effective than more expensive ones.

"Kung sino pare-pareho lang naman ‘yan. Parehong germs ‘yan eh. Kung sino lang ang nauna magbigay sa atin na mura, doon tayo pupunta kasi (They are the same. They deal with the same germs. We will choose whoever can give us a cheaper price because) they know that we do not have enough money," the president said during a public address delivered from Malacañang last Monday.

"Kung mahal masyado (If it's too expensive), we will go for the less expensive ones... It does not mean the one developed by America is more effective and the one developed by China is inferior or the one developed by Russia is better while those of other nations are not that good," he added.

Duterte said pharmaceutical firms are rushing to develop the vaccines for COVID-19, which has already infected about 239,000 people in the Philippines. He said US firm Moderna may finish its vaccine by September. China-based Sinovac is also about to finish its vaccine, the president added.

"What is being cultured and cultivated and then harvested and placed in your body is the same germs COVID-19. There is no difference. So let us wait for them to fast-track (the development of vaccines)," Duterte said.

Last month, Duterte expressed willingness to be the first to try out the vaccine developed by Russia but experts said the 75-year-old leader is not qualified to participate in the clinical trials. The president has also announced a plan to tap loans to ensure that all Filipinos will be given vaccines.