Let Filipinos choose their vaccine brand – Recto

People should have the opportunity to choose which vaccine brand to use against COVID-19.

Senate Pro-Tempore President Ralph Recto said the government must ensure that all vaccines against the virus are available so that the people choose vaccines.

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Recto explained that it is common sense that more people will be vaccinated if people are allowed to choose a vaccine brand.

So far, most of the available vaccines are China-made Sinovac, and there are also gradually coming to Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sputnik, and Moderna.

Earlier, Senate Minority leader Franklin Drilon said the government should consider buying another brand of vaccine and not just focus on the Chinese brand Sinovac.

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It is said that many more affordable vaccines are more effective against COVID-19.

However, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. insisted that the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine is “performing  and at par” with vaccines made by western countries.

Galvez maintained that all COVID-19 vaccines available in the country underwent “rigorous review” by the Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP). He added the procurement is based on VEP’s assessment “regardless of the vaccine brand.”

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Galvez said VEP discouraged them from making conclusions on vaccine effectiveness against the Delta variants as studies are still ongoing.

Efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine brands against variants

Alpha

  • Pfizer (90% sa  post-EUA , 97% vs. severe/critical COVID-19)
  • Pfizer (94% sa Israeli post-EUA study)
  • Pfizer (93% sa UK post-EUA study)
  • AstraZeneca (75% in UK pre-EUA study)
  • AstraZeneca (66% in UK post-EUA study)
  • Novavax (86% in UK pre-EUA study)

Beta

  • Pfizer (75% in Qatar post-EUA study, 97.1% vs severe/critical COVID-19)
  • Johnson & Johnson (52% in South African pre-EUA study, 73-82% vs. severe/critical COVID-19)
  • AstraZeneca (10% on “moderate” HIV positive in South African pre-EUA study)
  • Novavax (51% in the South African pre-EUA study were HIV positive, 43% both HIV positive and negative)
  • Sinopharm (1.6-fold reduced neutralization GMTs; minimal reduction according to an in-vitro study)

Gamma

  • Johnson & Johnson (66% vs. moderate/severe COVID-19 in pre-EUA Brazilian study)
  • Johnson & Johnson (73-82% vs. severe/critical COVID-19 in pre-EUA Brazilian study)
  • Sinovac (78% laban vs. mild COVID-19 in pre-EUA Brazilian study)
  • Sinovac (100% vs. moderate/severe COVID-19 in pre-EUA Brazilian study)
  • Sinovac (50.38% overall efficacy rate in pre-EUA Brazilian study)

  • Pfizer (88% in UK post-EUA study)
  • Pfizer (96% efficacy vs. hospitalization in UK post-EUA study)
  • AstraZeneca (60% in UK post-EUA study)
  • Pfizer (92% efficacy vs. hospitalization in UK post-EUA study)
  • Covaxin (2-fold reduction in neutralization antibody)

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