President Rodrigo Duterte did not experience any side effects from his Sinopharm booster shot despite lack of studies and data on using the vaccine as a booster against COVID-19, Malacanang said Wednesday.
“He did not experience any adverse effects yet as far as we know. He received Sinopharm as a booster,” Cabinet Secretary and acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles said.
In his Talk to the People briefing on Jan. 6, Duterte mentioned in passing that he has received his booster shot.
The President received the Sinopharm vaccine for his initial vaccinations.
“Again, we reiterate that this is something between the President and his personal physician,” Nograles said.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Sinopharm for emergency use only last June, even though several administration allies and Duterte had admitted to using the China-made vaccine well before the agency authorized it.
The government is still waiting for data to recommend the best booster shots for individuals who have received the Sinopharm vaccine as initial doses, Nograles said.
He noted that there is no adequate information yet from the vaccine’s manufacturers as to what brands can be used as booster doses for those who got the Chinese-made vaccine as their primary dose series.
Even the Department of Health admitted that there was no data available elsewhere “abroad and in the country and even from Sinopharm” regarding this matter.
Despite this, discussions between the National Vaccination Operations Center and manufacturers are ongoing, Nograles said.
“Our discussions with the manufacturers are continuous so that we can provide recommendations as to the appropriate booster shots for those who got it as the first two doses,” he said.